Stepping Into the Sunlight
by Burning.Mirrors
Summary: Some things you could never plan for; and in Vilkas's case, it was how one person could change his life in so many ways. But most of all, it was how that one person could guide him out of the moonlight and into the sun. Vilkas/ImperialF!Dragonborn; M-language & later chapters
1. Travel Far and Often

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 1: Travel Far and Often**

* * *

Coming to Skyrim from her homeland of Cyrodiil had been a difficult choice to make, but something deep in her gut told her that it was the right thing to do. After several months of adventuring, making friends, and killing enemies, Marlena had begun to feel more at home than anywhere else. The cool winds called to her, filling her lungs and soothing her thoughts, and the sheer beauty of the land was enough to make her long to explore every inch of it. She'd traveled across the land from Markarth to Riften and every major city in between, her wide travels and numerous encounters introducing her to people of every race and walk of life. And then Helgen happened. Waking up on a carriage with a splitting headache and almost no memory of anything short of her own name had put quite a damper on her spirits.

After escaping the chance encounter with the dragon that attacked the city, she brooded for quite some time in Riverwood, escaping frequently into the forest so she could just _think _and try to retrieve as much as her memory as she could. Over time, she'd managed to remember her parents' names and faces, her brother, and most of her childhood and adventures in Skyrim.

It looked like she was back on the right path, until the dragon attacks surrounding Riverwood compelled her to make her way to Whiterun to ask for further protection in the small village and warn them of the approaching danger. Ever since then, she'd found herself inexplicably drawn to the hold where she'd first learned of her fate as Dragonborn. Perhaps it was the lull in her duties that followed the fall of the Stormcloak Rebellion, in which she had played a significant part in as much as being the one to decapitate the Jarl of Windhelm in his own palace, or the stress of wanting to ensure the survival of the world that helped her decide that she wanted to take a break, and she knew the only place she'd like to spend it.

The first time the Imperial had visited Whiterun it had been for more or less diplomatic reasons; seeking to secure aid and inform of impending danger in the form of scaly flying creatures. And interestingly enough, on that first trip as she was nearing the city's high walls, she was met with the perturbing sight of three humans battling a giant in the middle of a poor farmer's fields. Back then she had only been in Skyrim a month or so following her ordeal in Helgen and the recovering of most of her memories, but hadn't hesitated to sprint over and lend a hand.

Her father's teachings in archery hadn't gone to waste, and she'd managed to send a single steel arrow spiraling through the air and into the creature's eye, effectively limiting his vision and angering him at the same time. As she neared, Marlena was forced to swing her bow onto her back and pull a pair of steel daggers from her hip holster on the fly. The giant was already being attacked on three sides by sword-wielding humans, causing him to stumble towards his only open direction, towards Marlena, with his club raised high. Just as he was about to bring the weapon down upon her head, her instincts snapped into play and the young Imperial dove into a roll between the giant's long legs, coming to rest on one knee and drawing a dagger across the back of the creature's ankle to sever the Achilles tendon. She heard a pained groan and was once again forced to dive out of the way as the giant's body crumpled to the ground. With one leg and one eye completely useless, it was an easy task for its original three opponents to finish the job.

Marlena had pulled herself to her feet by the time the giant was dead, her allies sheathing their swords as they approached. One, a woman, was the first to greet her. "You handle yourself well… You could make for a decent shield sister."

Marlena, not certain about what she was hearing, tipped her head slightly. "What's a shield sister?"

"An outsider, eh? Never heard of the Companions?" the woman inquired as another, younger woman and a rather tall male fell up behind her. "We're an order of warriors. Brothers and sisters in honor. And we show up to solve problems; if the coin is good enough."

Here, the young Imperial's eyes shifted between the three thoughtfully. "What did you mean before; when you said I would make a good shield sister?"

"Well, the Companions are always looking for new recruits. If you're interested, head to Jorrvaskr in Whiterun and speak to Kodlak. He has an eye for the true worth of people. If you go to him, good luck." Was the red-head's vague albeit helpful reply.

Marlena had nodded as they departed, her eyes following them as they headed toward Whiterun. After a minute of mulling it over in her mind, she had shaken her head. No… She didn't have time for becoming a Companion or what have you. Right then, her greatest concern was going to speak to the Jarl of Whiterun.

Speaking to the Jarl had lead her back to the area surrounding Riverwood, then back to Whiterun, where she'd faced the second dragon she'd seen in her entire life. But in that instance, surrounded by well-trained Whiterun guards, they'd brought the beast down and slain it. As the winged creature's body burst into flames, consuming its skin and organs and turning them to dust, it seemed to glow like the fire that blazed within it. A heavy wind picked up and the glow lifted from the dragon's body, swirling in thin strands that aimed at Marlena's body. The ribbons of life energy simultaneously pushed in through her chest as they encompassed her form, forcing the breath from her lungs because of the sheer force of the power that was entering her body.

For the few brief seconds that the energy coursed into her veins her nerves stood on end and her mind went numb. It was the dizzying sensation of being burnt alive and dunked in ice water at the same time without all the pain that made her stumble in surprise. Despite the muffled sound of speech in her ears as if they'd been stuffed with cotton, there was an odd chanting that swelled in the back of her mind and encompassed her thoughts all at once. Something… clicked. Like a synapse, except she could actually feel it. As the foreign sounds faded and her own hearing returned, she felt something rising from her gut. At first she thought she was going to be sick. But the pressure drew the air from her lungs and as she opened her mouth, a visible wave of energy emanated forth, knocking several nearby guards temporarily off balance. And just like that, she could breathe again, and her brain and ears were functioning normally. It was as if nothing had happened. But the exclamations of surprise that emanated from the guards as they gathered around her and the skeletal dragon were proof enough that no, she hadn't imagined it.

"I can't believe it. You're… Dragonborn." The guard that had approached her exclaimed a heavy Nordic accent, and that, in combination with the unfamiliar title, had led her to believe it was part of his culture. "Dragonborn? What do you mean?" Marlena then asked, unable to help feeling further distanced from this foreign land by her lack of knowledge on this particular subject; despite all her research on Nordic life and customs before venturing from Cyrodiil, she'd never heard of such a thing. "In the oldest tales, back from when dragons still lived in Skyrim, the Dragonborn would slay dragons and steal their power. Just like you did, right? Absorbed the dragon's power?" It was a lot to take in, all this nonsense about dragons and stealing their power and Dragonborns… But, Marlena was forced to agree with his reasoning; she wasn't sure what'd happened, and the knowing way in which he had explained the situation made her almost believe him. Also, she didn't have anything on the contrary. "… You may be right." she admitted at length, the guard nodding. "Yes. I think I am. And you can shout, too. That can only mean one thing; you must be Dragonborn."

By that point, several more guards had taken interest in their conversation. Murmurs of 'Dragonborn', 'Dragon blood', and 'Tiber Septim' were tossed around, and Irileth, the Jarl's housecarl, soon spoke up. "I don't need some mythical Dragonborn; just knowing you can cut down a dragon is enough for me." As soon as Marlena was beginning to put her trust in the housecarl's observation, a chanting could be heard by all as their small group made their way back to Whiterun, accompanied by a deafening shout that shook her to the core. It was that day that Marlena Callista, only daughter and youngest child of the noble house of Valerius, a twenty year old Imperial from Cyrodiil, learned that she was Dragonborn; Dovahkiin.

Her quest to rid the world of the ultimate evil, Alduin, had led her across the map on many occasions. And now, she was so close, but still so far. She had so much work to do, but an odd sort of melancholy had settled over her. Could she really do it; kill a seemingly immortal creature from Oblivion with her bare hands? If it wasn't bad enough to begin with, she'd had to take sides on the war, and she was beyond glad that it was over and done with. There were still scraps with rogue bands of Stormcloak supporters, but that was no longer Marlena's concern. After beheading Ulfric Stormcloak, she was able to return to her other duties. During her journey to understand the Dovah, she'd fallen in with the Thieves Guild of Riften. Early on she'd shown promise in the art of pickpocketing, sneaking, and thievery, despite her upfront preference in battle, and had rose above many challenges to eventually become a Nightingale and the Guild Master. Both titles, like that of Thane, were more honorary than anything as being a Nightingale had no specific duties besides protecting the Shrine of Nocturnal, and Vex, Delvin, and Brynjolf took care of managing the Guild practically by themselves. It had taken a bit of focus to transform from pure, in-your-face, beat-you-to-death with a greatsword battlemaster to a silent, shadow lurking thief capable of passing in front of guards without being seen, but Marlena had found that it came naturally to her; much like anything that required precision and focus.

This love of precision, and a small mistake due to her own curiosity and sense of justice, was eventually what lead to her joining up with the Dark Brotherhood. As strange as it seemed, the thrills from stealing, bludgeoning, and throat-slitting were all unique; and Marlena had come to love each of them for their own reasons. After confronting the Aretino child in Windhelm and subsequently killing the hag who called herself the head of Honorhall Orphanage, she'd found herself in an abandoned shack with some strange woman who called herself Astrid perched high on a shelf.

Through a series of events nearly as absurd and almost twice as painful as her experience with the Thieves Guild, she'd found herself as the Listener, leader, and transitively a key member in the Dark Brotherhood's organization. Not to mention she was able to further advance her stealth capabilities and become an infinitely more deadly killer in the process. Between playing such a pivotal role in both of these organizations, she was able to ensure that any stealing she was doing was for primarily noble reasons, and any assassinations she elected to do were upon people who truly deserved it. Other members of their respective organizations were eager to take any jobs she passed up, seeing as coin was coin. But for her, it was maintaining her ethical balance.

Right now, however, Marlena was focused more on taking a personal day so to speak; although it would surely last longer than a day. After an onslaught of Daedric princes, dragons, falmer, trolls, draugr, dragon priests, Centurions, and more, the Companions seemed to represent the emotional and moral balance she was seeking. The woman back on Pelagia Farm in Whiterun had told her that they were bound in honor, and that they fixed problems, helped people; for the right amount of coin. Not that a few Septims was bad, seeing as many of Marlena's own occupations lead to a steady income of gold without much attention. For any combination of these reasons, be it a subconscious urge, the need for change, the want to escape, a refreshment of morals, or just a few more Septims, Marlena found her feet carrying her through the city of Whiterun and eventually up the front steps of Jorrvaskr.

The impressive wooden structure that'd been built to support the massive overturned ship that acted as its roof was both astounding and daunting, and once upon a time, Marlena would have been put-off about entering at all. However, Skyrim had changed her, and she felt no trepidation opening the door and stepping into the mead hall. Several persons were seated around the large table that created a mal-formed U around a large fire pit, bottles of mead and silver plates, platters, jugs and goblets scattered about the tabletop and filled to the brim with an impressive display of food. Marlena made her way inward, stopping beside the nearest figure seated at the table.

"I'm looking for Kodlak… Could you direct me to him?" the Imperial inquired, a flicker of recognition passing between the eyes of the two women as they met each other for the second time.

"I remember you… You were the one who happened upon the farm when that giant showed up a few months back. And you finally decided to come and see Jorrvaskr. I half expected to never see you again." The Companion admitted with a chuckle.

A soft smile curled on Marlena's lips as she nodded. "I could say the same about you… And I'm just thinking now that I never got your name."

"Aela the Huntress… But most everyone calls me Aela. Nice to meet you,…?"

"Marlena Valerius, and likewise." Aela smiled, nodding warmly in greeting.

"Well, Marlena… Kodlak is just down those stairs over there. Take a right and follow it all the way to the end of the hall; you can't miss him."

Nodding in thanks, Marlena headed toward the stairs Aela had indicated, missing the way the other woman's eyes followed her. _'She's different than last time we met… She's so confident. Skyrim has a way of changing people, and she was strong to begin with, so I suppose I shouldn't be too surprised. Who knows; she might actually be of some use.'_

Marlena headed silently down the steps, passing through the door at the bottom and turning right as instructed. The hall was long and slightly foggy; it was also a bit warmer than the upper level for some unknown reason. It turns out that Aela wasn't lying when she said that you couldn't miss Kodlak. The white-haired Nord sat drinking from a tankard in a room at the end of the hallway just as Aela had described, and when Marlena came across the Harbinger, he was in deep conversation with a much younger man with dark hair, light eyes, and a strong stubbled jaw. The murmurings of 'the call of the blood' rang in her ears as she approached, the young man snapping his jaw shut and fixing her with an accusing look as she entered the room. Well, certainly not the most cordial greeting she'd ever received, but also not the worst.

"Ah, a stranger comes to our hall." The elder commented as he fixed his colorless eyes upon her.

"Yes… I would like to join the Companions." Marlena said in the naturally soft, sultry tone most of her race was blessed with.

"Would you now?" Kodlak inquired, meeting her gaze. "Here, let me have a look at you."

For several moments, the Nord's fair eyes traveled from the top of her head, starting where dark brown hair sprouted from her scalp and hung in wavy tendrils to the middle of her shoulder blades with two thin plaited strands framing her face before moving on to her thick-lashed almond eyes, vibrant blue-green irises meeting his momentarily as he scanned the rest of her lithe figure, noting the two solid red lines that's been drawn horizontally across her high cheekbones. There was a small scar that cut through the outer edge of her lightly arched brow and several small nicks that were visible on the back of her knuckles which were left bare by the Nightingale armor she'd donned, sans the hood for the special occasion. The old warrior's gaze was quick to pick up on these details, showing her training and close calls as a fighter, which otherwise would've gone unnoticed by the untrained eye. Her stature was willowy but strong, and she held herself with a peculiar kind of confidence that conveyed both restrained ferocity and an unshakable sense of calm, exemplified by the diplomatic way she'd threaded her fingers loosely over her abdomen that in a manner just as ready to shake your hand as to drive a dagger through your lung. Imperials were notably level-headed and considerate, but her eyes burned with desire to seek out challenges and to grow, learn, and adapt.

"Hm. Yes, perhaps. A certain strength of spirit." Kodlak said thoughtfully as he sunk back into his chair, satisfied.

"Master, you're not truly considering accepting her." The young man spoke up in his strong Nordic lilt.

"I am no one's master, Vilkas. And last time I checked, we had some empty beds in Jorrvaskr for those with a fire burning in their hearts." The Harbinger replied, sparing the young woman a glance out of the corner of his eye.

She seemed completely unperturbed by the younger Nord's lack of faith in her capabilities. In truth, Marlena frequently used that very misconception in her work when she needed to get a target alone long enough to slit their throat or sever their spine.

"Apologies… But perhaps this isn't the time. I've never heard of this outsider." Vilkas spoke again, not even bothering to look at her as the Harbinger crossed his arms loosely over his chest.

"Sometimes the famous come to us, sometimes men and women come to us seeking their fame. It makes no difference. What matters is their heart." Kodlak responded, meeting Marlena's impassive gaze.

"And their arm." The young Nord added, finally casting a distrusting gaze in her direction

"Of course! How are you in battle, lass?" Kodlak then inquired, Marlena inclining her chin slightly before answering.

"I can handle myself.

The elder's lip quirked softly at her tactful response, followed by a nod of the head. "That may be so. This is Vilkas; he will test your arm. Vilkas, take her out to the yard and see what she can do." The second half was directed at the discreetly simmering Nord, who put on a good face of not caring either way.

"Aye." Vilkas got to his feet and brushed past her, heading upstairs and out the back door with the Imperial trailing closely behind, although he felt the need to check several times to see if she was still there due to her non-existent footfalls. However, she followed him every step of the way, her eyes flickering around the mead hall as they passed through into the late afternoon sunlight.

"The old man said to have a look at you, so, let's do this." Vilkas stated decisively as they reached the center of a training area, lined by the stone wall of Whiterun and a few sparring dummies on one side, and archery targets at the far end for accuracy training. "Try to hit me; don't worry, I can take it." He assured her as he uncrossed his arms and picked up a shield and sword from the training rack.

Taking that as the cue to prepare herself, Marlena unsheathed a pair of daedric swords that were hidden beneath her cape in an x-formation over her lower back, twirling the blades into her palm as she got a firm grip on them. The Companion's eyes swept over the weapons appreciatively before focusing on her posture as she sunk into a fighting crouch.

"Whenever you're rea-" He was cut off when her body uncoiled like a spring, covering the distance between them with little effort and directing a blow at his head, bringing her sword down in a sweeping motion. It was nothing to raise his own sword in a parry, but what came next surprised him more than anything. Their blades seemed locked, though there was the sound of scraping metal as she twisted her wrist and sword until the flat of his blade was pressing against her wrist and the flat of her own blade was pressing against the back of his hand. From there, it was too simple to flick her wrist and disarm him completely, the pressure on his wrist enough to uncoil his knuckles and pull the sword from his grasp. Eyes narrowing, Vilkas moved to sweep his shield only to find that she was beneath his shield arm, making her impossible to hit. Just as he reached to pull his dagger from his belt, he felt the sharp tip of her sword poking his skin through the small break in his heavy wolf armor. She'd done it; not only had she touched him, but she was in a position where she could very easily drive her sword straight between his ribs.

"Is that good enough?" Marlena inquired, looking up to him with her maddeningly emotionless gaze.

"Not bad." Vilkas finally responded, stepping away and lowering his shield as the Imperial sheathed her weapons. Alright, it was a bit of an understatement; she'd managed to disarm and corner him in a matter of seconds without giving him any room to retaliate, but there was no reason to let her know that he had underestimated her. And there was certainly no reason to swell her ego by informing her that her technique, although unlike anything he'd ever seen before, was flawless. She wasn't just part of the common rabble swinging a sword around; she was very skilled and probably well trained.

"But next time won't be so easy." News of Vilkas heading to the yard with a new recruit had spread rapidly and several Companions had come to observe the test. Athis had sat on one of the chairs on the patio, Farkas having claimed a seat on the steps beside Ria, with Aela leaning on the support beam behind them. Almost begrudgingly, Vilkas nodded thoughtfully to the young woman.

"You just might make it. But for now, you're still a whelp to us, new blood. You do what we tell you to." He was faintly amused to have finally gotten a reaction from her, even if it was just a small quirk of the lip. Marlena was an accommodating individual, and she frequently went out of her way to help people when they needed it. However, she had never been passive, and that was almost exactly what being a whelp entitled. She didn't disrespect authority, per se, but she only followed people who she felt deserved whatever authority they claimed to have. You had to earn your title in Marlena's eyes; which was one of the problems she frequently encountered back in Cyrodiil. She was time and time again forced to submit her decisions to people who had known nothing about her and had only their vision of her future in their minds, and she hadn't felt them worthy to make that decision. It was one of the reasons why she left. But in some way, this man's comments pushed her onward instead of pushing her away. She wanted to prove herself worthy of being a Companion, even if it meant a little boot licking to get there.

"Here. Take my sword up to Eorlund and have it sharpened. And be careful, it's probably worth more than you are." Vilkas instructed, retrieving his discarded sword and handing it to her. Marlena gave the blade an appraising glance, tilting it this way and that as she inspected the metal with a knowing eye. It was strong and well crafted, but hardly anything unworldly extraordinary. Then there was the fact that it'd come from the training rack instead of from his sheath. He was just making her do busy work, and she'd be damned if she let him think she didn't know that.

"I doubt it." Was her simple reply as he turned to head back into Jorrvaskr, not missing the slight tension in his body that accompanied her comment.

He continued back into the mead hall, Aela approaching their newest trainee and placing a welcoming hand on her shoulder. "I knew you'd make a decent shield sister. And you're well on your way. Vilkas usually doesn't go easy on newcomers, but he seems to like you."

"That's how he treats people he likes? I'd hate to see how he treats people he doesn't like." Marlena responded, looking to the hulking man as he stood.

"My brother isn't all bad… He's just a little territorial sometimes. Vilkas and I grew up here in Jorrvaskr, so it's the only home we know. He's just trying to make sure that every Companion is worthy of being able to call Jorrvaskr home, too." A soft smile formed on Marlena's lips as she glanced to the man, who she realized now _did _look like a taller muscle-bound version of Vilkas.

"Thanks,…?"

"Oh, I'm Farkas." The man replied, smiling broadly. "And this is Athis, and Ria." He added, indicating the two over his shoulder with a nod of his head.

"Your skills with a blade are impressive. Perhaps I could test your archery skills at some point as well." The Dunmer commented, Marlena nodding.

"I look forward to the day." Ria had remained silent throughout the exchange, watching the woman who'd taken her spot as new blood with a slightly awed look. Feeling slight twinge of discomfort, Marlena turned her light eyes back to the huntress.

"Vilkas said to take this to Eorlund… Where can I find him?" she inquired, Aela smiling before turning the Imperial slightly by the shoulder as her free hand pointed toward the plume of dark smoke that curled lazily toward the sky from atop a large rocky formation at the far end of the yard.

"He's on top of Skyforge; just take the stairs on the far side... Eorlund is arguably the finest blacksmith in all of Tamriel. We're lucky to have him."

Bidding the Companions good bye, Marlena headed along the path Aela had indicated and soon met the great Eorlund Gray-Mane himself. After a brief discussion on her reason for being there, Marlena sat lightly on a low table that ran alongside the forge and watched Eorlund begin to sharpen the blade as she inquired about the Skyforge and about the Companions themselves. Despite not being a member of the Companions and claiming not to be a fan of talking too much, he sure did know a lot about the organization and about Skyforge and was willing to share; you just had to know what questions to ask. And he ended giving her one good piece of advice; don't always do what you're told. No one ran the Companions, so she really didn't have to answer to anyone. Kodlak was the Harbinger and his voice was often heard above the others of the Companions, but it was not law.

After sharpening the sword halfway and asking her to inform Vilkas that he could pick it up tomorrow, he asked her to also bring Aela her newly-completed shield so he could return to his mourning wife. As it was rather late in the day, Marlena readily agreed with her heart going out to the man as she bid him good bye and returned to the mead hall. It took a bit of searching to locate the huntress, but Marlena soon found her way to Aela's bedroom in the lower level. Upon entering, she found Aela speaking with another man she wasn't familiar with. The male appraised her as she gave Aela her shield and received a "Thanks", soon placing his hands on his hips.

"So. You're the one who was training with Vilkas in the yard. Heard you gave him quite a thrashing."

"Don't let Vilkas hear you say that." Aela advised teasingly before returning her attention to the young woman. "Do you think you could take Vilkas in a real fight?"

Marlena regarded her a moment before inclining her chin slightly as she responded with her unexpectedly sensuous tone. "At the very least, I wouldn't be the only one to leave with a few injuries." Her response seemed to please the huntress, who gave her an approving nod.

"I like your fire. You'll make a fierce Companion. Let us hunt together sometime."

"That would be nice." Marlena responded, pleased to find herself fitting in with relative ease.

"Oh! I should probably have Farkas show you where you'll be staying. Farkas!" Within seconds, the large Nord arrived in the doorway, looking somewhat expectant.

"Did you call me?" he inquired, Aela rolling her eyes slightly.

"Of course I did, icebrain. Show this new blood where the rest of the whelps sleep.

Farkas beamed slightly, nodding. "Aye. Follow me."

Marlena gave the rooms occupants a nod of departure before heading off after Farkas, having to take a few jogging steps to catch up to him. Marlena wasn't stout like most Nord or Breton women, not that she was as tall as a Thalmor either, but she had long legs. And even then, Farkas easily outpaced her.

"Skjor and Aela like to tease me, but they're good people. They challenge us to be our best." He explained, able to pick up on the slight offset of her full lips that was no doubt due to the almost uncalled for insult he had encountered earlier. He had kind eyes, and she could tell that he was receptive to the emotions of those around him, but she was also quite surprised to find that he was able to pick up on her thoughts so easily. Despite all the diplomatic training she'd undergone to mask her tells, her lips always betrayed her. She could control her eyes and the rest of her face almost perfectly when she needed to, but her lips almost always gave away just what she was thinking.

"But, it'll be nice having a new face around here. It gets boring sometimes." He admitted as they turned right and passed through a door that stood directly opposite the door that lead upstairs. "I hope we keep you. This can be a rough life." Farkas informed her, thought Marlena merely smiled.

"I'll be okay… I have some experience with difficult situations." She responded with some ambiguity, still putting off informing the Companions that she was involved with the Thieves Guild and the Dark Brotherhood, not to mention being the Dragonborn and all.

"Alright. So, here we are. I'm sure the rest of the Companions are eager to meet you. If you're looking for work, come to me or Aela when you're ready. And eventually, maybe Skjor and Vilkas will have some things for you to do. And whenever you're tired, just come down here and fall in the nearest bed." He explained, the Imperial nodding.

"Thank you Farkas. I suppose I'll take the time now to get settled… Until next time." Marlena responded, excusing herself and making her way to a bed at the far end of one of the conjoined rooms. Sitting on the soft hide, she ran her fingers through the animal's fur thoughtfully before removing the narrow belt that held her swords to her back, draping the belt over the foot of the bed before removing her gloves and boots.

Taking advantage of being alone, she changed quickly into her 'town clothes' that she carried in a small pack on her back beneath her cape, which comprised of her Thieves Guild pants and boots, and what appeared to be the torso piece of a dress with the skirt entirely cut off. The cream-colored fabric hung off her shoulders with numerous small ties bunching her sleeves up along the length of her arms, and a brown bodice was secured around her narrow waist by lacing that went up the front, further supporting her frame by having slender straps that wrapped outside her bust and tied behind her neck. It was apparently a very common fashion in Skyrim, and although she felt bad half destroying the outfit Sigrid had given her upon her arrival in Riverwood, the fact remained that Marlena hated dresses with a passion despite, or perhaps because of, being forced into them almost every day of her life growing up. So, she'd kept the top, and used the bottom for patching material. It was as simple as that. As she tucked her Nightingale armor beneath her bed, she pondered what her next step would be.

After borrowing a few rolls of paper, ink, and a quill from Kodlak, she sat opposite the Harbinger and wrote a letter to her parents detailing her last month or so in Skyrim, including her newest achievement, followed by a letter to her housecarl in Windhelm, requesting he come overnight to bring her a trunk of particular weapons and pieces of armor. That was one of the beauties of being a Thane.

Although it was sunset, Marlena had gone out in search of a courier and was fortunate enough to catch one just before he passed through the gates. Knowing her letters would arrive shortly, at least in the case of the letter to Windhelm, she began a slow walk back through Whiterun, taking time to assess the damage that she'd somehow missed on her first walkthrough.

There were still scars left from the Stormcloak invasion, namely a few stray arrows stuck high on the support beams of houses, black scorch marks on the stone street, and once she reached the Wind district, she noticed a portion of the lattice that ran around the outside of the circular courtyard that'd been constructed around the Gildergreen was still lying in a heap in front of a small uninhabited cottage. Apart from that, most of the city was completely repaired. Houses shone brightly with warmth, filled with happy families who were enjoying life within the walls of Whiterun. Guards walked their normal routes, looking for anything out of the ordinary, and Marlena had to stop herself from wanting to take advantage of the flaws in the selected routes. It was too easy, too natural, to pick out blind spots and heavy shadows untouched by torchlight. But, the young woman steeled herself and returned to Jorrvaskr, deciding it was time to make good on her promise to meet the other Companions; not to mention she still had to inform Vilkas that his sword would be ready the following day.

The room had grown warm with the plethora of conversation that was being exchanged between the Companions seated around the table, and the smell of warm mead was significantly more prominent than it'd been earlier that day. There was boisterous laughter echoing through the wooden structure and Marlena couldn't help but smile at the sight of the shield brothers and sisters enjoying each other's company and sharing stories of older times. She found herself a seat with empty chairs on either side and began helping herself to the food that was heaped on the nearby platters, taking a little here and there. Marlena wasn't a very picky eater, even though she wouldn't go near anything that came out of the water, and was content with the mixture of meats, vegetables, and sweets she could find. There was an unopened bottle of mead on the table, which she quickly decided was hers, and took an occasional sip as she ate. Several of the Companions meandered from seat to seat, sitting next to one person and talking to them for a while before moving somewhere else.

Marlena had been picking at her food for some time, having swung her feet up onto the table due to the unoccupied spot beside her, when Aela sat herself on Marlena's other side.

"How're you settling in, new blood?" Aela then inquired as the Imperial took another draw of her mead.

"Well enough. The Companions are quite welcoming." Marlena admitted. "Well, most of them." She spared a glance at Vilkas, who sat along one of the shorter portions of the table beside his brother.

"Farkas was right when he said earlier that Vilkas is just being protective… He's not the most open guy, but his heart is in the right place." Aela vouched, sensing that somehow, Marlena still didn't believe her. As the evening wore on, many members of the Companions grew increasingly boastful, and with enough mead, even Vilkas seemed to loosen up a bit. Claims of things they killed and how many were tossed around, most trying to one up the other in some way. Vilkas, however, seemed to be the one to beat

"I reckon I've killed at least one of everything in Skyrim. Maybe I'll go to Morrowind soon to find some new prey."

Despite the handful of bottles that surrounded her by the time a majority of the Companions had retired to their quarters, Marlena seemed completely untaken by the alcohol. Only Aela, Farkas, and Vilkas were left upstairs and for nearly half an hour, Farkas and Marlena drank down mead bottle for bottle, Aela and Vilkas having given up drinking an hour or so prior. Although Marlena wasn't slurring her speech or having trouble focusing, the fact that her expression was slightly more open seemed to suggest the alcohol had lowered her inhibitions ever so slightly. Finally, with some urging from Aela, they proceeded downstairs for bed.

The Imperial made her way towards her bed and just after sitting down came to realize she still hadn't informed Vilkas about his sword. Sighing softly, she pulled herself back to her feet and made her way to where she'd seen the brothers disappear to minutes ago. She was left in a hallway with two rooms, one on her right and one on her left. Marlena closed her eyes momentarily, focusing on the sounds emanating from each room. The inhabitant to her left took large, deep breaths, meaning it was probably Farkas, whereas the person to her right took equally deep but slightly shorter breaths. Opening her eyes, she rapped her knuckles quietly on the door to her right, hearing the muttered reply of 'Enter' in an unmistakably Nordic dialect.

Vilkas looked up when one of the doors to his room swung open and Marlena stood looking at him from the doorway. "What do you want?" he inquired, doing his best not to sound unreasonably hostile. He was suspicious of her, obviously; especially due to the fact that despite her presumable inebriation, he still hadn't heard her approach. She was absolutely silent, and even as she stood there, her expression was neutral and unassuming. She opened her mouth slightly as if to say something before crossing her arms beneath her bust and leaning her shoulder against the doorframe.

"You said before that you've killed one of everything in Skyrim… Ever killed a dragon?" The question caught him slightly off guard, causing him to lean forward in his chair and place his elbows on his knees. Up until a few months ago he, like all others, assumed dragons were just a myth, or at least extinct. But after the dragon that attacked Whiterun, there was no more denying. However, he also hadn't seen the dragon, or any dragon for that matter. And by the Gods he had never killed one.

Bound by his honor, Vilkas gave her a hard look. "I have not."

She took in this information, chin inclining in an instinctive manner before she spoke."Then you have some catching up to do… Also, Eorlund said you can pick up the training sword sometime tomorrow."

With that, Marlena had straightened up and turned on heel, closing the door behind her as she made her way soundlessly back to her bed. Alright. So, that wasn't exactly how she'd planned on letting him know his sword was ready to be picked up, but, she just couldn't help herself. For some reason, this man was pulling out some of her less admirable qualities; namely her inclination to one-up people. Usually she stuck with doing so mentally, but the question had been plaguing her since his proclamation earlier in the evening. So now, falling asleep on her bed of straw and soft hides, she felt just a little better.

* * *

TBC


	2. Act Like You've Been There Before

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 2: Act Like You've Been There Before**

* * *

Sleep was not something Marlena usually got very much of, between her restless nature and the small amount of paranoia that had become nestled in the back of her mind. It wasn't yet dawn when she awoke and after several minutes of lying in bed, trying to convince herself to go back to sleep, she sat up and pulled on her boots before getting to her feet and heading upstairs.

The fire was still blazing but most of the platters and bowls were cleared of food, with the exception of a few fruits and vegetables that'd been left out. Grabbing an apple in passing, she exited into the yard and made her way over to the wall. It'd begun to crumble somewhat in spots, and the few small rocks that'd fallen out on the inner side created well-placed hand and foot holds. Sinking her teeth into the apple too free up her hands, Marlena scaled the wall with relative ease and perched in a heavy shadow with her back to a higher portion of the wall as she settled into a small dip left when a presumably large stone had fallen free. With one leg was pulled up close to her chest, aided by the wall of the bowl-shaped gap she'd settled into, and her other leg dangling over the outside of the wall, Marlena quietly ate her apple as she observed the landscape that surrounded Whiterun.

There was a handful or so farms, most with their own grain mill. The high towers with their slowly rotating wings added pleasant variety to the rocky terrain, and for just a moment everything seemed right. People were peacefully asleep, the stars were twinkling, and the land was quiet. No dragons being reanimated by other dragons.

Peace never truly lasted, and this axiom led to Marlena becoming deathly still when she heard one of the doors open. A figure made its way across the yard, pulling a training sword from the rack against the wall just a few feet from her. It was easy to discern Vilkas's figure against the other shadows cast by the moon that was just beginning to fade, but what struck her was the fact that he wasn't wearing armor; just a long-sleeved tunic with a small amount of lacing up the chest, dark brown trousers, and boots. Even in normal clothing he wasn't exactly stealthy, not that many Nords were, but it also just wasn't his style. She observed him for nearly half an hour, silently twirling the core of her apple by the stem before giving it a toss. The discarded bit of fruit bounced against the ground before striking Vilkas in the leg, causing him to look down to it before his gaze flitted around. "Who's there?" he demanded, readying his sword as if to fend off whoever would dare cross him.

"It's just me, Vilkas…" Despite only knowing her for a day, the Nord had come to easily recognize the sultry voice that spoke to him.

"Where are you, new blood?" he then asked with a slightly displeased tone, not at all thrilled with the prospect that a) she'd snuck up on him completely unnoticed and b) that he likely wouldn't have noticed her if not for the stray apple core, something she clearly did on purpose. He sheathed his sword, glancing along the length of the wall only to be startled when he saw a figure rise along the upper lip of the jagged stones, her features illuminated by the light that just overlooked the crevice she'd been hiding in.

The "Right here" she responded with was superfluous, which for some reason further annoyed the Companion.

"Shouldn't you be in bed, whelp? It's not even dawn." He caught a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"It's never stopped me before… Can I train with you?" she then inquired suddenly, once again catching the young man off guard. She seemed to be doing that a lot lately, but he was still slightly put off that she'd managed to corner him so easily in their last match up.

"Choose your weapon." Vilkas finally directed, indicating the weapons rack with a nod of his head. She slipped down off the wall with surprising grace, her landing silent and discreet. Marlena's eyes swept over the assortment of weapons, soon settling on a well-made steel greatsword, similar to the one Vilkas was currently using. Greatswords were her weapon of choice, but her own daedric weapon was by far her favorite. The steel blade in her hand was slightly lighter, but that only meant she would be faster with it. This could prove to be an interesting session.

Vilkas smirked faintly when he saw her pull the greatsword from the rack, amused at her error. He was a master with a greatsword, and although he was exceptionally competent with a sword and shield, she had no chance to best him with a two-handed weapon. She turned to face him, readying herself in a similar fashion to how he had.

"Whenever you're ready." Marlena then said, her intense blue-green eyes locking with his icy gaze. Vilkas found himself smirking as she threw out the same words he'd said the day before with no concept of the implications. Then he lunged toward her, sword swinging in an arc toward her abdomen. Marlena was initially surprised by his reckless abandon for safety, seeing as they were both void of armor, but reconciled herself that if she couldn't prevent getting killed by a Nord with a big sword, she would've been dead long ago.

She dropped her weapon sharply so the tip was pointing towards the ground, her left hand grasping the hilt while the other rested on the flat of the blade and effectively stopped his sword mid-swing. Her whole body had caved in upon itself slightly the instant before, just enough so that if she were to be unable to block his swing, his sword would've only cut air anyway. He was both surprised and amused by her choice of blocking style, knowing it to be the best choice to block such an attack, but in a very peculiar form that he'd never seen before.

Marlena's chin tipped slightly, one of her 'battle tells', as she turned her sword a full 180 degrees while moving it across her body from left to right, guiding his blade from her body and putting him out of his range of power before spinning on the balls of her feet and whipping her own blade in a wide arch that was level with his throat. Vilkas brought his blade up at the last moment, deflecting her swing before aiming another attack at her body. Even as they went back and forth, matching each other blow for blow, he couldn't help the one thought that kept swelling to the front of his mind.

_'That technique… That was __**my **__technique.'_ Every now and again, she would pull a move that was distinctly _his_, frequently mixing the move with another style and dealing a double blow that was challenging him to keep up. Perhaps he'd underestimated his underestimation.

After a good ten minutes, their blades had locked, bodies almost pressing together while Vilkas attempted to use his bare strength to overpower Marlena's uniquely flexible technique, and vice versa. But neither was going to give; they were at a stalemate. Their eyes were locked in mental combat, trying to intimidate the other to back down. The energy passing between them was almost palpable. The Nord's mouth formed into a fierce scowl as the Imperial's lips slowly curled into a smirk, then a smile, her eyes flashing with mirth as a faint chuckle slowly bubbled from her lips. He felt his focus slipping slightly as he watched her face dissolve from one of determination to one of joviality, both of them simultaneously relieving the force they'd been putting on each other and disengaging their blades. Vilkas's expression was a mix of wonder and confusion as he met her jubilant gaze, listening to the gentle chime of her uncharacteristic amusement passing her lips.

"What's so funny?" he then asked, sounding more curious than he intended, almost as if he was pouting a bit that she was laughing at him instead of being afraid of him. Her lips had formed a soft grin, something she was obviously trying to restrain.

"It's not funny, really. I was just astounded by the fact that we'd ended up at a tie. It's been a long time since I'd been able to spar with someone who was just as skilled as I was." Marlena admitted, taking immense enjoyment in the utterly confounded look on Vilkas's face. "We'll have to do it again sometime… But right now, I'm going to go get a bath. I forgot how a good spar could work up a sweat." she then commented, seeming more relaxed than she had at any point since arriving.

Vilkas couldn't find any words to express the sheer nothingness that was going through his head. On one hand, he was further irritated by the fact that he hadn't been able to best her, but surprised that she was as capable as he was. Furthermore, he was suspicious of her ability to mimic his techniques, but equally flattered and annoyed that she chose to attempt to copy him, and had done so with relative accuracy despite having only seem him use his techniques once. The Nord shook his head, pushing away his emotions as he began hacking away at the training dummy in her absence. All he allowed himself to focus on the fact that she was still a whelp, who he knew next to nothing about. She'd yet to prove herself worthy, and that was that.

That morning after bathing and washing her 'civilian' clothes, Marlena hung them to dry before donning her Nightingale regalia and heading up to get a more filling breakfast. There, she got to formally meet Njada, who seemed to have a haughty temper that bested Vilkas's. Although she came off as being insufferable, Marlena came to learn that Njada was thoroughly and obsessively protective of her friends, and the more she teased you, the more it meant she liked you. She had a sharp tongue, something Marlena highly approved of, and by lunch they were trading insults so fast it seemed to make Farkas's head spin. Aela listened to their playful bickering with amusement, Farkas occasionally turning to ask Ria what slightly more obscure insults meant. No one had seen Vilkas since breakfast, most having assumed he had gone to his room to brood as was natural for him. However, in the following hours, Farkas was also nowhere to be seen. Marlena on the other hand was put in a particularly good mood when Calder, her housecarl from Windhelm, arrived bearing a trunk containing her favorite items. She thanked him warmly and forced a few Septims on him, which he tried to refuse until she gave him her "As Thane…" speech, and sent him on his way. She was pleased to have some of her favorite trinkets, and even more so to have her weapons and armor.

For the next few weeks, Marlena was only seen at Jorrvaskr for more than an hour every handful of days, just enough time to restock her arrows and potions before requesting another job from either Farkas or Aela, usually to retrieve someone's stolen something from somewhere, before disappearing again. Along with getting some decent income, Marlena used the time that she was out and around to fulfill her other obligations with the Dark Brotherhood and the Thieves Guild. After almost a month of running about, it seem she was just getting to settle in at Jorrvaskr when Farkas came jogging into the barracks, his eyes flickering around before focusing on her.

"Marlena, Skjor is looking for you." He informed her, jerking a thumb over his shoulder.

She gave a nod, indicating she'd heard him, before getting to her feet and heading up to him. "What did he want?"

"Don't know. Seemed agitated, though. Must be important." After thanking him, she made a quick sweep of the lower level before heading upstairs and coming across Skjor seated on a chair at the far end of the room, drinking heavily from a tankard.

"You wanted to see me?" she inquired as she approached, the male nodding as he lowered his drink.

"I did. It seems your time has come already, new blood."

"What do you mean?" Marlena asked, brow creasing slightly.

"Last week a scholar came to us. He said he knew where we could find another fragment of Wuuthrad. He seemed a fool, but if he's right, the honor of the Companions demand we seek it out." Skjor explained, the young woman sensing a bit of suspicion in his tone.

"And that's where I come in." Marlena interjected, the male giving her an appraising look.

"You're a quick one, I see. And I like your spirit. Yes, this will be your Trial. Do well, and you will be counted as a member of the Companions. Farkas will be your shield sibling on this venture, whelp."

"Understood." Marlena replied, giving a nod before turning to head downstairs so she could get ready.

"Oh, and new blood; try not to disappoint. Or get him killed." Her lips quirked softly as she looked over her shoulder at the older man.

"Don't worry. I'll be sure to make sure he comes back unscathed." She assured before disappearing down the stairs. Skjor watched her go, shaking his head slightly. She was proving to be a bit of a spitfire. Maybe Kodlak was right about her.

Pushing a few strands of hair from her face, Marlena opened her trunk and began removing her armor. It was supposed to be a simple retrieval mission, not that anything was really ever 'simple'. She changed quickly into ebony mail she'd acquired after completing a quest for the Daedric goddess Boethiah, accompanied by her Nightingale boots and a pair of well-fitting ebony gauntlets. A full set of daedric weaponry was soon affixed to her person, including her twin swords, her greatsword, a bow, and arrows. Being a warrior by birth and a thief by trade, Marlena was very familiar and comfortable with most weapons, explaining why she preferred to carry numerous types of weapons just in case the situation called for it. Her lips curled into a faint smile as she headed up into the mead hall, meeting up with Farkas just as he was coming down the stairs.

"Ready to go, Marley?" he inquired, the female's eyebrow arching slightly.

"Marley? That's a new one." She admitted, the male grinning in response.

"Well, I figured you could use a nickname. Marlena is really… I dunno. Noble sounding. Not like a fierce warrior."

The Imperial chuckled at his observation, a small smile forming on her lips. "I don't think it sounds much more fierce than Marlena, but I guess you can call me Marley if you want to."

Farkas placed a large hand on her shoulder as he steered her upstairs. "Don't worry, I was going to anyway." He teased in response, the young woman shaking her head gently as she headed towards the doors of Jorrvaskr.

"Farkas, what's 'Wuuthrad'?" The Imperial inquired as they made their way down to the Plains District.

"Wuuthrad is the axe Ysgramor carried when he lead the original 500 Companions to settle Skyrim, and eventually all of Tamriel. It's supposedly especially deadly to elves, and the axe itself is a symbol of the power of the Companions." The Nord explained, brow furrowing occasionally as he recalled the stories he'd been told growing up in the halls of Jorrvaskr.

"Sounds important… I assume you know where we're going?" She then asked. Farkas nodded, leading her from Whiterun's protective stone walls.

"Dustman's Cairn. It's about an hour or so north-west of here."

"Then we don't have much time to waste, do we?" the female inquired, brow arching slightly.

"I suppose we don't." Farkas replied with a grin as the two headed away from Whiterun side by side.

* * *

They arrived at the Cairn with little incident, with the exception of a few wolves, and proceeded down through the tomb. It turned out that they worked very well as a team, with Marlena able to very easily switch between providing a cover of arrows and hacking away at the occasional Wight, Scourge, or Deathlord with whatever sword she felt like using at the time. They were quick to work down through the levels, soon reaching a room whose only exit was blocked by a heavy gate.

"Farkas… Skjor said a scholar came and told him about this place… Out of curiosity, how common knowledge is it that the Companions are searching for the pieces of Wuuthrad?"

Farkas gave a small shrug, his pale eyes flickering around as he spoke. "I don't know… Most people who know of the Companions also know of Ysgramor and Wuuthrad, but I'm not sure how many people know that Wuuthrad was shattered."

Marlena was notably cautious, and tended to agree with Skjor's unspoken suspicion. "Even if he claimed to be a scholar, I think it seems a bit strange that someone would just walk in off the street and offer the location of a valuable ancient artifact. And with nothing to gain? People always want something." Marlena said thoughtfully.

He merely grinned in response. "Whatever it is, I know you and I could handle it no problem." Farkas assured her, the Imperial soon spotting a lever hidden in a small alcove and making her way to it. But just as she pulled it, instead of hearing the sound of a gate opening, she heard one slam shut. As she spun about, she found herself trapped in the alcove with Farkas stuck on the other side.

"By the Gods Marley, look what you've gotten yourself into… No worries. Just sit tight and I'll find a way to get you out." The Nord teased, Marlena rolling her eyes slightly as she placed her hands on her hips.

"Sit tight? I don't think I have much of a choice." Just as he smiled at her, he watched her expression fall. It suddenly occurred to him that the sound of footsteps was coming from behind him on all sides, and as he spun he drew his sword.

"We knew you'd come… Wuuthrad would just be too hard to pass up for a member of the Companions." One of the well-armed men spoke.

"Which one is he?" Another asked, only to be silenced by a third.

"It doesn't matter. He wears that armor, he dies."

"Killing you will make for an interesting story." A fourth then mused.

The handful of men closed in on Farkas, pushing him back toward the alcove in which Marlena was trapped.

"Too bad none of you will be alive to tell it." Was Farkas's assured reply, the Imperial finding herself unable to move as she watched the sight before her unfold.

It'd been a difficult decision for Farkas to make; he'd sworn to Kodlak and to his brother that he wouldn't give in to the beastblood, that they would find a cure, and that he'd never have to think about it again. But right now, he needed to protect Marlena, and he needed to survive as well. It was with a heavy heart that he gave in to the rage boiling in his blood, feeling his bones crack and twist in a way that was unsettling and familiar at the same time. He doubled over slightly as his physiology changed from the inside out, his mental processes becoming temporarily void of anything short of annihilating those attacking him. He made quick work of the men before regaining a less violent mindset and darting off into another alcove to transform back into his human form. While there, he came across another lever and pulled it, relieved when he heard both of the gates opening. When he re-emerged, he saw a flicker of relief pass over Marlena's features when she realized he was back to normal, although his armor was looking a little worse for wear.

"Hope I didn't scare you." Farkas commented as he approached, faintly relieved to see that she didn't shy away from him.

"Not really… I just wasn't expecting it. What was that?" Marlena inquired, beginning to notice the slightly wolfish shadow his smile held.

"It's a blessing given to some of us. Not that everyone sees it as a gift. But it turns us into wild beasts. Fearsome, you know?" Farkas responded, feeling slightly empowered by her non-accusatory tone. She wasn't afraid of him, and she wasn't judging him. She was just… Curious.

Her hands soon rested lightly on her hips once again as she considered his explanation. "Beastblood… How does one come across something like that?"

Farkas merely chuckled as he looked down to her. "It's something given to the Inner Circle. But you have to prove your abilities as a Companion first." He replied before reciting something he'd been repeatedly told as a child growing up in the halls of Jorrvaskr. "Eyes on the prey, not on the horizon."

Marlena smiled in response before looking to the now-open passage. "Well, let's go then. We've still got a lot of draugr to take care of."

Indeed the rest of their journey was hindered by draugr, not to mention occasional clusters of people from the same group that attacked them earlier. But with both warriors at their full capacity, their opponents hardly stood a chance. Marlena was clearly familiar with the concept of exploring tombs and nearly every time after they'd dispatched the current threat, she was going through the pockets of the fallen, as well as any urns or chests they came across, in search of valuables. No doubt she was leaving with a lot more money than she came in with. When they reached the final chamber, everything seemed suspiciously quiet. They meandered around cautiously, picking up stray health potions and other valuables, before approaching a Word Wall proceeded by a large table upon which the fragment was resting.

Marlena had encountered countless Word Walls in her journeys, but this would be the first time she ever encountered one with another human. A single word seemed to illuminate as she approached, the language an ancient sort of draconic cuneiform that the Imperial had come to recognize. The words lifted themselves of the wall and turned into a swirling cerulean mass that shot forward and phased into her body, a small shiver running up her spine. The sensation was not as intense as absorbing a dragon soul, and it was a calming sensation, even if it seemed to stir the fragments of the dragons' souls she'd absorbed in the past. Each word had a meaning, a relation to a shout. And this one linked back to her Fire Breath shout. As she turned to Farkas, she found him staring wide-eyed at her. Probably not much different than she looked when she'd seen him transform into a large cross between a man and a wolf.

"Farkas… I know this is unusual, but could you please not say anything about this to anyone just yet?... I want to tell them on my own time." Marlena requested softly, her voice taking on a slightly pleading quality that tugged at Farkas's heartstrings.

The Nord regarded her a moment before nodding firmly with a small smile. "I swear by the Divines. Your secret is safe with me."

She gave him a warm smile in response before turning her attention to the fragment that was resting on a small pedestal atop the table.

"You just know something bad is going to happen once we pick it up." Marlena observed, Farkas nodding in agreement before readying his sword.

"Go ahead."

The Imperial glanced up at him before reaching out towards the piece. As soon as her fingers brushed against the metal, she snatched it off its stone resting place and slipped it discreetly into one of the well-protected pockets of her ebony mail. Just as predicted, the disruption of the pedestal caused wave after wave of draugr to pour from the sealed tombs that lined the room.

This time, Marlena fought beside Farkas, protecting his back just as he protected hers. Her skill became obvious, the Nord now able to understand how she'd bested Vilkas so easily in their first bout. Her body was willowy and feminine, but she could turn very quickly into being a real threat. In no time, they'd cut through the draugr defense force and were making their way out of Dustman's Cairn and back to Jorrvaskr. As they approached both in good spirits but a little worn out between their fight and all the walking, Marlena was likely more surprised than Farkas was to see Vilkas standing outside Jorrvaskr at the top of the stairs leading up to the mead hall.

"We've been awaiting your return." The Nord commented as they approached, easily noting the faint crease that formed on the Imperial's forehead.

"Why were you waiting for me?"

"Now isn't the time… Come along." Vilkas requested, Marlena throwing a glance over her shoulder as Farkas offered her a reassuring smile before heading off in the opposite direction. The young woman followed after Vilkas as he led her around the end of the building as if going to Skyforge before guiding her into the yard. She was slightly surprised to find the few torches that sat against the wall to be lit, and even more surprised to find Kodlak, Skjor, Aela, and Farkas awaiting them in a loose circle.

"Brothers and Sisters of the Circle, today we welcome a new soul into our mortal fold." Kodlak spoke as she and Vilkas fell into rank to complete the circle, Marlena finding herself slightly embarrassed by all the fanfare. "This woman has endured, has challenged, and has shown her valor. Who will speak for her?"

Here, Farkas took a step forward into the middle of the circle, casting her a faint smile. "I stand witness to the courage of the soul before us."

Kodlak looked to his surrogate son before giving a slight nod in recognition. "Would you raise your shield in her defense?"

"I would stand at her back, that the world might never overtake us."

"And would you raise your blade in her honor?"

"It stands ready to meet the blood of her foes."

"And would you raise a mug in her name?"

"I would lead the song of triumph as our mead hall reveled in her stories…"

Vilkas listened to his brother's impassioned words, the thought occurring to him that his twin had never been so poetic about his certainty in another's capability. Although Farkas was a bit of a bleeding heart and was kind to anyone who was kind to him, he did seem unusually taken by the young Imperial. Perhaps his words were not solely out of kindness, but out of certainty of her character. Farkas and Kodlak were very similar in that sense; they both had the ability to look into a person's soul and see what they were all about. Granted, Farkas was more apt to see the good side of people as compared to their bad side, but sometimes he did know what he was talking about. And in retrospect, Marlena had proven herself as a capable fighter, even if he felt she had a lot of learning to do. Maybe… Maybe she wasn't as bad as he had made her out to be.

"Then the judgment of this Circle is complete. Her heart beats with the fury and courage that have united the Companions since the days of the distant green summers. Let it beat with ours, that the mountains may echo and our enemies may tremble at the call." Kodlak proclaimed.

With that, the Circle disbanded, Vilkas's voice catching her attention as he passed her.

"It shall be so."

* * *

TBC


	3. You Can Be Anything You Want

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 3: You Can Be Anything You Want, Unless You Can't**

* * *

Marlena slept through the night and most of the following day, being awakened at dinner by the rich smell of cooking meat and bubbling stew, no doubt Tilma's doing. She felt a little groggy after getting her first real full-night's sleep since almost a month ago, but pulled herself out of bed and changed into clean clothing before proceeding upstairs.

Aela welcomed her when she showed up, appearing unusually cheerful, and Njada made a few smart comments at the unusual length of time she spent in bed, only to be bested by the Imperial's sharp-tongued comeback. Apparently she still had enough of her wits about her when half-awake to give a good tongue lashing. Farkas grinned at her reappearance, inviting her over to the chair beside him with a wave of his hand. She sat heavily and grabbed a good amount of food from the nearby platters, not bothering to be polite as she gave in to the hunger gnawing at her insides.

Farkas laughed at her apparent hunger, a wide grin. "Slow down Marley or you'll end up choking to death… How bad would it be to survive draugrs and the lot only to be taken out by a piece of dead cow?" he teased, the female casting him a faint glare from beneath her sooty lashes before swallowing her mouthful of beef stew and leaning back in her chair.

She hated when other people were right…

Marlena reserved herself to eating at a slightly slower pace, taking her time and listening to Farkas tell her about the girl he'd met at the Bannered Mare, and asked her what she thought he should do. She couldn't help but smile at the almost puppy-love type affection he seemed to feel toward the girl, despite just meeting her. And it touched her to know he already trusted her deeply enough to ask about matters of the heart.

"Well… Don't jump in too fast but if you really like her, get to know her. Talk to her." Marlena suggested, picking apart a rabbit leg with her fingers.

"Well, I don't know… Kodlak's always said that I have the strength of Ysgramor and Vilkas has his smarts… I'm not that good with words; that's Vilkas's area of specialty." He admitted, the female chuckling softly.

"You may say that, but you're not as addlebrained as you seem to think you are. You're a good man, Farkas. Just be straight with her, and let her know you're interested. And I know you have a backbone, so don't be afraid to use it."

He appraised her for a moment, nodding afterwards. "You may be right. You're pretty smart Marley. I wish you'd come to join us when you first showed up around here." Farkas commented, the female shrugging in thought.

"At that time I just had… too much to do." She replied ambiguously, looking up to him momentarily in a manner that seemed to hint at some sort of inside knowledge. It took him a moment for him to catch on, but he nodded and smiled

"Oh, right… You'll have to tell me more about it sometime." He replied, eyes flickering up when Skjor approached them and leaned over Marlena's shoulder.

"Meet me outside in the yard after dinner. I have a job for you." His gravelly voice was quiet enough that even she had a hard time making out what he said, presumably to keep Farkas from overhearing. Indeed, as soon as Skjor left, the Nord turned his eyes to her.

"What was that about?"

"I don't know." Marlena admitted to the Nord, turning back to her food and effectively ending the discussion of that topic.

After she'd finished eating and had downed a few bottles of mead, she bid Farkas goodbye and headed out the back door. Indeed, Skjor was leaning against the wall by the archery targets, straightening at her approach.

"Are you prepared?" the Companion asked, eyeing her perceptively.

"For what?"

"I've brought you here to make you stronger, new blood. Let's move." Was Skjor's simple reply as he headed off.

Marlena seemed confused but nodded him and followed him as he opened a passage in the side of the rock that she'd never taken notice of before. "What is this place?"

"The Underforge. It's been here as long as the Skyforge has. It's even older than Jorrvaskr, which is the oldest building in Whiterun. The Underforge taps into an ancient power older than men or mer." As he lead her into the Underforge, she came face to face with another large beast that greatly resembled Farkas in his beast form, but was significantly smaller.

"Are you ready to join your spirit with the beast world, friend?" Skjor observed her as she considered his offer.

By now, the whole Circle knew that she'd seen Farkas transform, and although Kodlak had been slightly upset by that fact, he understood the young Nord's reasoning and hadn't admonished him for it. The Harbinger and the twins were the only members of the Circle who were dissatisfied by their beast blood and opposed to its usage. However, Skjor and Aela embraced it, and he had a feeling that the new blood would as well. He was not disappointed when Marlena eventually nodded.

"I'm ready."

Skjor approached Aela's form, taking her arm in his hand. "Aela will be your blood donor. Drink whenever you're ready." He instructed as he drew a line with his dagger down the length of the huntress's arm, letting the inky red liquid fall from her arm into a stone basin atop a pedestal. Inhaling deeply, Marlena stepped up to the bowl, bracing one hand on the side as she dipped her fingers into the viscous fluid, forming a cup with her palm. After a moment of observing the blood cradled in her palm, she raised her hand her lips and tipped her head back.

As she felt the bitter metallic liquid slide down her throat, a strange fire began to seep into her body, working its way outward from her throat and spreading through her veins. A faint buzzing began at the base of her brainstem and began to invade her thoughts, and just like that, everything went dark.

* * *

"Aela… What have you done?" Kodlak asked in faint exasperation as she came to him with her forearm wrapped tightly in a thick bandage.

"It was her choice. Skjor offered her the opportunity, and she accepted it." The huntress responded defensively, both Vilkas and his twin at a slight loss for words.

"Where is she? Is she hurt?" Farkas finally asked, Aela looking over to him.

"I don't know. She ran out the back of the Underforge as soon as the transformation was complete. We all went through our first transformation alone, and any other presence would only frighten her. We'll just have to wait until she transforms back." Aela replied, Kodlak resting his head heavily on his hand.

"I'm afraid Aela's right… There's nothing we can do now is wait for the beast blood to burn out and hope she doesn't encounter too many hunters while she's in the wilderness."

* * *

She was cold. Freezing, actually. It was hard to open her eyes, but she knew she had to. Marlena hated being cold, and was trying to figure out why it felt like she was covered in snow. Indeed, when she opened her eyes, all she saw was white. Tiny snowflakes clung to her hair and eyelashes, and a harsh shiver ran through her body as she sat up. At first, she was most concerned with figuring out where she was. And then she realized that she was naked as the day she was born. She looked up as she heard footsteps crunching through the snow off to her left, more concerned at that moment about who was there as opposed to the fact that they would see her naked. She wasn't particularly modest, but didn't go out of her way to flaunt her body unless it was necessary. She was prepared to defend herself with her bare hands, until she recognized the woman approaching her.

"Aela…?"

"Yours wasn't an easy transformation, but you survived. Congratulations. We even have a celebration planned for you. Oh, here." The huntress stated, tossing the newest Companion a familiar black bundle. Aela turned her back as the newest Circle member quickly dressed in her ebony mail, gauntlets, and Nightingale boots. In amongst the bundle were her two daedric swords which she quickly sheathed on the back of her armor and an ebony dagger that she tucked into a small sheath on her thigh.

"There's a pack of werewolf hunters camped nearby, at Gallows Rock. They call themselves the Silver Hand; I believe you and Farkas had a run in with them not too long ago." Aela had turned back to the Imperial, who was watching her almost critically. "We're going to slaughter them. All of them." Marlena's lips were pursed slightly before she nodded to her. "Let's go, then. Skjor's scouting ahead."

The two moved quickly and silently up the small hill, Marlena slipping in quietly along the shadows of the wall with a motion for Aela to wait, easily slitting the throat of the man crouched by the campfire before creeping up the wooden landing that'd been built around a portion of the decrepit tower, catching Aela's eye and giving a nod. The huntress strung her bow and sent an arrow flying just after the other female snapped the neck of one of the two remaining guards, using his surprise as the perfect advantage to strike. They worked well as a team, especially so now that they shared a unique bond brought on by the fact that, in some peculiar way, they were able to almost sense each other's thoughts. It was relatively quick work going down through the levels of the tower, encountering Silver Hands every 200 yards or so, and soon, Aela touched Marlena's shoulder in a silent plea to wait.

"We must be getting close to the bottom… You need to watch out for the boss. He's tricky. They call him 'the Skinner'; I don't think I need to tell you why." The huntress explained softly, Marlena nodding in understanding.

"Don't worry about it. I doubt he's the worse I've ever faced." She assured before cracking the door just enough to slip inside.

There were only four people within the room; three typical Silver Hand nobodies, and the Skinner. She crept along the wall, easily sneaking up on the two of the guards one at a time once they were out of sight of the others. It was almost too easy to press her hand over their mouths and sever their windpipe and jugular before silently dragging their bodies into a corner. She saw the light of Aela's smirk through the crack in the door, giving a small smirk of her own before peering around the edge of stretching rack holding the skin of some poor soul to observe the Skinner and the remaining Silver Hand in deep conversation. Aela had crept into the room and readied an arrow, waiting for her shield sister to ready her swords before sending her poison-tipped arrow into the neck of the remaining guard.

The Skinner spun, targeting Aela as he drew his sword and moved closer. As the huntress was readying another arrow, Marlena darted from the shadows and leapt on the man's back. Her fingers curled under the lip of his helmet and jerked it back roughly as he struggled to reach behind him in his heavy steel armor, an arrow soon piercing his exposed throat. He dropped to his knees and Marlena released her grip as he slumped to the floor.

Aela proceeded further into the room, her shoulders drooping slightly as she approached the body that'd been present before they'd arrive. "Those bastards… They got Skjor." Marlena looked up to her, feeling a slight pang in her chest. She'd seen the expression on her shield sister's face far too often not to recognize it; it was the face on one who'd lost a lover

"Aela… I'm so sorry." The Imperial said quietly, moving to stand at her side.

"He was one of the strongest we had. But numbers can overwhelm. Damnit, I shouldn't have let him come without a shield brother."

"He died fighting to protect his shield siblings. It's the most anyone ever could've asked." Aela nodded at the younger woman's words, feeling oddly calmed by the fact that she wasn't making any false claims of knowing Skjor that well or saying how he lead a full life.

"You go back to Jorrvaskr. I'm going to stay and make sure we got the last of them and see if we can get any information from the bodies." Aela said softly, Marlena seeming to battle herself about leaving her shield sister alone before finally nodding.

"Alright… See you there."

* * *

It was almost midnight when Marlena finally arrived back at Jorrvaskr, but she had enough sense to get a bath before crawling into bed. She had the oddest sensation that she smelled like… dog. She felt exhausted when she went to bed, and equally so when she woke up. But, it was more like a nagging in the back of her mind what no matter how long she slept, she'd never feel quite rested. Rubbing her eyes, she got up and straightened the cream-colored tunic she'd pulled on over her Thieves Guild pants and boots before heading upstairs.

She could tell by the faint light that fell across the floors of the mead hall that it wasn't yet dawn, and since she didn't feel particularly hungry, she bypassed the table altogether and headed into the yard. Marlena made her way to the weapons rack and removed one of the greatswords used for training before taking a step back and facing one of the sparring dummies. Ever since she'd seen Vilkas training that one morning, there was something bothering her; she couldn't get one of his techniques quite right. Usually she could figure out how to fix minor technical errors, but for some reason, she messed up in a different way every time she tried. Whether it was difficulty cutting at the right angle or not being able to get her footing mid or post swing.

Marlena was getting frustrated, that much was evident, but the extent of which hadn't quite occurred even to her until she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. Inhaling softly in surprise, she dropped her guard and turned to face the man standing behind her. She could almost feel the smugness that Vilkas held at his ability to finally catch her off guard, even unintentionally, but it was soon replaced by a sense of calm as he dropped his hand back to his side.

"As you were." He requested, watching the faint look of confusion flit across her face until she went back to standing with her sword at the ready as she had been when he arrived. His hands were unusually gentle as they guided her shoulders into a slightly different position before moving down her body. One hand twisted her hip to be parallel with her shoulders as his foot gently nudged her stance further apart. At that moment, Marlena was doing her best to focus on how he was changing her form, but it was becoming slightly difficult with the warmth of his body seeping into her back and the stubble of his chin against her shoulder as his arms wrapped around her body and his hands closed overtop her own on the handle of the sword.

"Now, when you swing, rotate your hips and follow through. And if it feels like you're off-balance, just go with it. Trying to counterbalance like you normally would doesn't work with form." Vilkas explained, his Nordic-lilted baritone unusually quiet and non-aggressive.

He felt an unusual sort of tension in her body, despite the fact that she moved easily with his guidance. Soon, she felt her head turn slightly to look at him out of the corner of her eye.

"Vilkas, why are you helping me?" His lips curled in a faint smile as a chuckle passed his lips.

"I figured that if you're going to try to copy me, I might as well teach you how to do it correctly." He caught the plumping of her cheeks caused by her smile, that soft, Nirnroot-esque chuckle passing her lips.

"Well… Then teach me." She requested. Afterwards, a small smile formed on his lips as he felt her muscles go lax. It was easy for him to guide her body through the motion of the swing, ensuring that she didn't have any trouble with the basic technique. It only took a few practice swings with Vilkas's aide before she was capable of doing it perfectly on her own. However, she indulged him for a bit longer before she felt him still.

"Marlena… Why did you do it? Why did you accept the beastblood?" he asked, his breath brushing against her neck.

"How do you know about that?" the young woman inquired, Vilkas frowning softly

"Aela pretty well told Kodlak. I was there. Plus, I can smell it on you. Now, why did you do it?" he asked a bit more forcefully. Her shoulders sagged slightly and she loosened her grip on the sword.

"I didn't have any reason not to… Skjor said it was a blessing, and after seeing what it could do, it didn't seem so bad." Marlena explained, slightly startled when Vilkas spun her abruptly to face him. She could see the anger he was restraining when she met his eyes, the tenseness of his muscles further showing how hard he was trying to control himself.

You don't understand what bearing this curse means, do you? I don't know about you Imperials, but Nords dream of Sovngarde. And with this curse upon our souls, the only place we're going is Hircine's Hunting Grounds… Why would you subject yourself to that?"

Honestly, Marlena didn't know what to say. She never really considered what would become of her after she died. At this point, the only thing she was sure of about her death was that it certainly wouldn't be of natural causes. He seemed to be growing impatient with her silence, but soon her eyes flickered up to his and he was shocked at not only the fact that he saw something there, but more so concerning what he saw. For that minute, she looked almost frightened. He slowly dropped his hands to his sides, his chest aching as if the breath was knocked clean out of his lungs. Looking at her, it made him feel so guilty that he almost found himself unable to speak. Finally, he was able to think enough to in a deep breath before forcing his mouth to work.

"Marlena… I didn't mean to frighten you." Vilkas said softly before lowering his eyes to the ground. He suddenly felt… bad. He never felt bad about anything, especially about not being able to fully control his temper. Once, not very long ago, he was almost intimidated by her. She was a fierce, strong-willed warrior, and Kodlak had taken a liking to her immediately, followed quickly by Farkas, Aela, Njada, and even Skjor seemed to think her capable enough of being trusted to be a part of the Circle. And now, he was beginning to see her not as competition, but as a shield sister. He wanted to protect her, and even now the beast within him was struggling to spring free and defend her. But at that moment, she was afraid of him.

"I'm not scared of you, Vilkas." The Imperial finally spoke up, as if reading his very thoughts. "You just… put things in perspective." Marlena said at length, meeting his eyes as he raised them from the ground. Her gaze was once again peaceful and grounded, and held something akin to an epiphany. "But, I mean, what can I do about it? It's too late now." She said softly.

"Marlena, you can fight it. Kodlak, Farkas, and me too, we're all fighting it. Kodlak… he thinks he can find a cure. So, we're all waiting." Vilkas offered, touching her arm gently. She looked up to him, weighing his words carefully.

"I'll try. I don't know if I'll be able to. The first time… I couldn't do anything to stop it." She admitted, the Nord offering her a soft smile.

"No transformation is as powerful as your first. But the longer you go without it, the harder it will be to resist. You are no longer just _you. _There is a spirit within you, and it will try to get out. And it will get harder and harder to control, but you can't let it overtake you." He said softly, Marlena soon nodding.

"I will try." She then assured him, and he couldn't help the small smile that formed on his lips.

"It's good to have you on our side."

* * *

TBC


	4. Reveal Yourself Slowly

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 4: Reveal Yourself Slowly**

* * *

"Kodlak, we have to strike now. Their members are disjointed and we don't have much time until they align themselves with a new leader." Aela urged, the Harbinger watching her carefully. Despite the pain he and the rest of the Circle knew she was feeling, there was no denying that she was right. After they killed the Skinner, the Silver Hands were left without a leader.

"But we don't know where they'll be, where they're heading." Farkas interjected, Aela sparing him a glance.

"Not true. There was a note on Skinner requesting plans to be sent to a lieutenant in a camp called Broken Helm Hollow."

"So we go in and get the plans? That doesn't sound too hard." Farkas responded, Kodlak looking up to him.

"No… There's no guarantee that all members will be present at the camp when we would attack. There's a possibility that if any of their members escape they'll be able to alert other camps, making all our efforts in vain. We need to get the plans without alerting them that we have them."

"Someone needs to sneak in and get them without getting caught." Aela finally said before sighing. Sure, she was quiet, but she wasn't skilled with picking locks or anything else that dealt with thievery.

"I'll do it." Marlena then volunteered, several turning their surprised gazes upon her.

Kodlak, however, gave her a knowing smile. "So. The Nightingale finally speaks up." He observed, the Imperial giving him a slightly confused but impressed look

"You recognized my armor."

"Aye. I've met one Nightingale in my entire life, but I would never forget that uniform."

"Most people don't even believe they exist." Vilkas then commented, beginning to understand exactly why she was able to move quietly enough to sneak up on him, and likely anyone else, with so little effort.

"The reason most people don't believe in us is because there's only three Nightingales at a time. With so few of us, there's such a small chance for us to be seen. Besides, it's our job not to be noticed."

"But I thought Nightingales were just the protectors of Noctural's shrine?" Aela then inquired, Marlena nodding softly to her.

"That is our primary purpose. However, you must first be a member of the Thieves Guild to become a Nightingale. I became a Nightingale not too long before I took over as Guild Master." The Imperial explained, Kodlak inclining his chin slightly.

"Hm. Then, perhaps you are best suited for the job." He observed, Aela quickly agreeing. Farkas showed support for her offer to retrieve the plans, and lastly Vilkas sided with the others, albeit hesitantly. The thought of sending her in to deal with those Silver Hand thugs alone didn't sit well with him and he had to remind himself to trust her abilities. She'd proven herself beyond capable thus far, and as he'd learned early on, she wasn't fond of being overlooked.

But then again, Skjor was very capable as well…

"Leave in the morning. Spend tonight with your shield siblings." Kodlak said to her, the woman nodding after a moment. "If that's all, this meeting of the Circle is disbanded." The Harbinger then spoke, the members dispersing to do what they pleased. Most headed upstairs to dinner with only Aela going off to be on her own. Marlena still felt the odd tug at her heart whenever she saw her shield sister's crestfallen expression but didn't press her. After the funeral at Skyforge just hours before, the huntress had secluded herself much like she was doing now; but Aela was strong and she was dealing with Skjor's death in her own way. Marlena sighed as she followed Farkas upstairs, vaguely aware that Vilkas had remained downstairs. Probably speaking with Kodlak.

The Companions settled around the table for dinner, the senior members reminiscing about Skjor and adventures they'd had with them, many of them leading multiple toasts in his honor. Eventually Athis, Njada, and Ria retired to bed, leaving Farkas and Marlena to sit side by side, the latter with her feet up on the table, sipping on mead.

"Vilkas mentioned something the other day… He said you, himself, and Kodlak vowed not to give in to the beast blood. Why did you give in that day at Dustman's Cairn?" the young woman soon asked, tilting her head back to look up at him.

He looked down to her, slightly surprised at her mention of Vilkas, but soon shrugged. "I was your first shield brother, and I kind of didn't want you to get killed on your first task. And, well, it was the best way to protect you." Farkas explained. "Plus, I've always wanted a little sister." He teased, placing a large hand atop her head and mussing her hair slightly.

She pouted softly, trying to fix her hair with one hand as she elbowed him with the other. "That was quite unnecessary." She grumbled, the large Nord chuckling.

"Come on, Marley. It wasn't that bad." He teased, Marlena rolling her eyes adolescently in response.

After several moments of comfortable silence, Farkas looked down to her once again. "Marley? That thing that happened back at Dustman's Cairn; with the wall… What was that?" he asked, the female stilling for a moment before swirling her mead as she pondered how to answer

"It was a Word of Power, part of a Shout used by people who've harnessed the Thu'um. The Voice."

"Thu'um? I thought the Voice was only used by dragons or those monks up on High Hrothgar. And by people who are… By the Gods, you're Dragonborn?" Farkas said in slight awe, his voice dropping into a whisper at the last part.

The female smiled faintly, pleased that she'd been correct in guessing that the Nord would be well-versed in the tales and history that had been kept within the borders of Skyrim, unknown even to her until passing its borders.

"Aye. I am." Marlena admitted, tipping her head back as she emptied her latest bottle of mead. "But, like I said before… Please keep it a secret." She said softly, the man nodding.

"Of course…" After another round of drinks the two finally headed downstairs and parted ways.

* * *

The next morning Marlena awoke unusually early, using the extra bit of time to take a bath before heading to get ready for her trip. After filling her pack with food and a change of clothing in case she needed it, she sat down to pull on her Nightingale regalia. Her hood and mask remained down as she affixed her weapons to her body her eyes drifting around the faces of her sleeping shield siblings. For some reason, despite being a part of the Companions for such a short time, she felt very protective of them. All of them. Maybe this was exactly what it meant to be a Companion. Even though she cared for the members of the Thieves Guild and of the Dark Brotherhood, most of those relationships were more out of respect and common goals than true camaraderie. But here, there was friendship. She even had a place in her heart for quiet Ria, who always looked so cautious whenever she was around her. Farkas was her silly brother, Njada was her banter buddy, Athis was the quiet yet knowledgeable uncle, Aela was her confidant, and Kodlak was the all-knowing grandfather. And Vilkas… well, she wasn't quite sure about Vilkas just yet. She trusted him, and he was a capable warrior. But he wasn't quite a friend. He just didn't line up with that role.

The young woman sighed softly as she headed from the barracks and up the stairs into the mead hall. As she walked across the fire-lit room toward the back doors, she was met by Vilkas as he got to his feet from where he'd been sitting at the table.

"You're up early… And you're not out training." She observed as he approached, dressed in a light gray tunic and black trousers.

"I wanted to see you off." He admitted, studying her face carefully as he paused before her. Her eyebrow arched slightly in a mildly confused manner despite the faint smile on her lips.

"Thank you… but I hardly see your reasoning." He touched her cheek with his fingertips, his touch drifting down to gently grasp her chin and tilt her face up to his in a gently demanding manner to meet his eyes.

"You come back safe, alright? Be careful." The Nord advised, searching her gaze as her features fell into a look of gentle content, despite the giddy feeling that was knotting her stomach.

"I will. Don't worry so much." She responded almost chidingly, touching the inside of his wrist with the tips of her fingers. He soon nodded before dropping his hand, Marlena offering him one last smile before turning and heading out the door. He caught her gaze one last time as she glanced over her shoulder before the door closed quietly behind her. She was still smiling when she pulled her mask and cowl up over her features before disappearing up over the wall.

Taking the map that'd been left at the end of her bed by Aela the previous night, Marlena navigated partially by the stars and then by the roads once the sun was up. Her plotted course kept her off the dirt paths commonly used by travelers but often ran parallel to them, for the sake of knowing generally where she was going. She took her time, walking at a non-stressful pace and taking a break ever so often to eat or just to rest her feet. It was almost dusk when she spotted the glinting of flames against the darkening sky, and at that point her mental state slipped into that of a thief. She'd always had an astounding sense of hearing, but since making the blood pact she heard and saw more clearly than ever before, and little scents she often ignored were exceptionally prominent.

And now, under the darkness of night, she crept low across the ground and hid in a heavy shadow several hundred yards from the camp. From there, she could hear every conversation, every whisper, every sleeping sigh, every crack of wood in the fire and ripple of fabric in the wind. She sat there for close to an hour, listening as the conversation died down to the low murmur of the night watch.

Her body moved slowly across the ground, limbs spreading out in a spider-esque manner as she kept herself low while sneaking around the two men sitting around the fire, their backs to the tents alongside which she now hid. There were five tents set up in a loose arch with an unusually large one in the center. That tent, no doubt, belonged to the lieutenant. She slipped along behind the tents before creeping alongside the largest of the tents. After cracking the leather flaps that hung over the front of the tent and making sure the occupant was asleep, she slipped inside and crouched at the foot of the bedroll. Her eyes flickered about momentarily as she crossed the tent and fell in alongside the desk before straightening and beginning to quietly shuffle through the papers.

The small lantern that'd been left lit on the edge of the desk let more than enough light for her to search the desk before she crept over to the chest in the far corner of the room. It was locked, which didn't surprise her, and luckily she had come prepared. It only took a few seconds of fiddling with a lock pick to slip the tumbler before opening the lid slowly and beginning to rifle through its contents. Her lips formed a smirk as she slipped the plans, along with a few other small valuables, into her pocket before closing the chest with a soft click and making her way back towards the flaps of the tent. Her eyes widened at the sound of hurriedly approaching footsteps and she dove silently beneath the desk to hide in the largest available shadow.

The flap was pushed open by one of the Silver Hands, her eyes following the man's feet across the floor, only a foot or so from her face, as she pressed herself as close to the tent without actually touching it.

"There's bandits approaching the camp. And they don't seem friendly." The intruder reported, causing the lieutenant to grumble as he got to his feet and hurriedly pulled on his armor overtop his short-sleeve tunic and pants before grabbing his shield and his sword off the table. One of his feet almost brushed against Marlena's leg, which she moved at the last moment, as he leaned across the table to grab something before the two men finally headed out to join the rest of their band.

Thanking the Divines for her fortune, Marlena exhaled a breath she wasn't aware she'd been holding as she slunk from beneath the desk and peeked through the flaps. The whole lot of fancy-named thugs were trying to deter the threat just past the edges of the camp, giving her plenty of time to slink from the camp and disappear into the trees. She followed the path of the road to a nearby village Aela had marked on the map, probably because it had an inn, and paused just outside its boundaries to change into her 'town clothes' but chose to keep her weapons right where they were.

She paid for a room with some of the stray Septims that may've fallen into her pocket when she was clearing the lieutenant's desk and chest, afterwards making her way upstairs and falling into bed. Although she slept well past dawn, her sleep was restless. It'd been over a week since she'd taken the blood pact and was beginning to understand the disquiet Vilkas had told her about. She felt some sort gnawing at the edge of her consciousness, but did her best to push it aside as she headed back out along the road, this time following the dirt path all the way back to Whiterun.

When she returned to Jorrvaskr, Marlena was pleasantly surprised to find most of the Companions, save Kodlak and Vilkas, eating lunch together. She was met with several greetings congratulating her success, though she was forced to temporarily deny their requests for her to join them so she could take the plans down to Kodlak. She made her way downstairs to the Harbinger's quarters and found him seated, alone, with a tankard at his elbow.

"You've returned. And it seems you're in one piece." He noted, smiling warmly and the young woman.

"Yes. Here're the plans I found." Marlena then commented, pulling them from a pocket in her knapsack and handing them to him. He unfolded the parchment and looked over its contents, nodding lightly as he did so.

"Well done, Marlena. Well done. Since you're unscathed, I'm guessing you weren't caught?"

Here, she chuckled. "I had a bit of luck. Some bandits wandered too close to the camp and the lieutenant left to help support his squad. Made it pretty easy to sneak away." She explained.

Kodlak chuckled faintly before setting the plans on the table. "Luck indeed. Anyhow, go eat and drink. You've done a lot for us in the time you've been here." He said in a fatherly manner, Marlena smiling and giving a nod before heading back down the hallway.

As she reached the barracks she headed in to put away her armor and clean out her knapsack when she heard muffled footsteps pause in the doorway before continuing closer as she stood up and turned. Vilkas was there to greet her, and she found herself inexplicably smiling.

"See? I told you I'd be fine." She pointed out, noticing the way his eyes swept over her face and exposed neck and shoulders as if ensuring she was telling the truth. Satisfied, he nodded to her.

"Aye. You did well Marlena." He said in agreement, fingers gently tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.

"Complimenting me now? And I thought you hated me." The female observed, Vilkas shaking his head gently.

"No, I never hated you. But, I did distrust you. I didn't know anything about you." The Nord pointed out, perplexed by the soft out of place smile that curled on her lips as she looked away from his icy gaze.

"You still don't." Marlena responded quietly, touching his shoulder gently as she headed from the barracks and made her way upstairs to mead hall.

Again, her stomach was tying itself in knots, and she couldn't quite figure out why. Was it the warmth of his touch, or the pure, woodsy scent of his skin, or even the way he looked at her, like he was so desperately trying to see into her soul though she'd spent so long hiding it from anyone and everyone. Biting her lip against the small smile that formed on her features, she sat beside Aela and began eating, her shield siblings offering her another round of congratulations and drinks before settling down into their usual session of chatting and sharing battle stories. Even Kodlak and Vilkas eventually came upstairs to join them.

"Hey Marlena. I've been meaning to ask you something. What did you do between our first meeting in Whiterun and joining up with us? I knew from the beginning you had potential, but it seems like you've learned a few tricks since then." Aela said softly, obviously referencing the borderline assassination skills she exhibited when they took on the Skinner's group.

The Imperial took a sip of her mead, considering how, and if, to answer. "Well, I joined up with the Thieves Guild not long after having my run in with your lot. I used to be a bit of a troublemaker in my later years before leaving Cyrodiil, so, sneaking around was easy. Then, well, I was unceremoniously inducted into the Dark Brotherhood."

Here, Aela's eyes were wide. "Why? What happened?"

"There was a boy in Windhelm. His parents had died and he was sent to the orphanage in Riften. The caretaker there, Grelod the Kind, was in fact quite horrible. And I mean, I wouldn't even force her own children to endure living with her. But, word in Windhelm was he performed the Black Sacrament, and I talked with some of the children in Honorhall, the orphanage in Riften. They told me the same thing, and I got to experience Grelod's 'kindness' first hand. I felt bad for him, and after talking to the rest of them, I killed her just to help him out. She'd been ruining children's lives for years; it was about time she got her due. Afterwards I spent the night in an inn, and next thing I know I'm in some shack in the middle of nowhere. The leader was there and explained that if I didn't kill one of the three people in the room, I would die. So, I did. I killed a swindler. And after that, I became one of them. I don't do jobs too often, but I like to check out the background for each before I take one. I don't like doing assassinations unless the person they want dead really deserves to die."

Aela managed a faint smile. "Well, I'm glad you're with us, at any rate."

Marlena smiled as well, returning to her drink. She was quite aware that while with the Dark Brotherhood she'd learned that she was the Listener; the one person the Night Mother would speak to and tell of those who performed the Black Sacrament. But, that wasn't that important, was it? Not that being Dragonborn wasn't important, either.

However, she was still trying to come to terms with that. Even after finding the Elder Scroll and driving away Alduin when he appeared at the Throat of the World. Sometimes she hoped, prayed, that she was still just Marlena Valerius, adventurer, Imperial from the great land of Cyrodiil; not Dovahkiin, the person solely responsible for banishing a supposedly immortal evil from the world. There was always the nagging sensation that she wasn't going to be able to do it.

Marlena's mind was obviously somewhere else when she headed downstairs a little earlier than usual, unaware that Vilkas had gotten up and followed after her until his hand gripped her slender wrist. Her eyes widened slightly as she spun to face him, surprised more by the force of his grip than anything else as she tilted her face up to look at him.

His face was set in firm neutrality, but his eyes gave way to the conflict he was facing. "You're an assassin?" he asked, almost spitting the last word as she looked up at him with her intense eyes that showed nothing but shock for a brief moment before she was able to understand what he was getting at.

"You don't like assassins?"

"They're cowards, they kill people from the shadows. Murder people for money." She had showed such strength, such valor. She was a good person; she couldn't be an assassin. Marlena's lips curled into a soft smile, and it seemed for a moment that she pitied him. But her sultry tone was calm and reassuring, just like always.

"Vilkas, you're a mercenary, aren't you? You kill people, bandits, anyone who does harm to others. Right?" He nodded in agreement, the combination of her eyes, voice, and scent of Nightshade and Mountain Flower shifting his focus to nothing but her.

"Don't you see; I do the exact same thing. People don't call on the Dark Brotherhood because someone bumped them as they passed on the street. They call on us when someone has done them serious harm. Children who've endured abuse from their parents, people who had everything they worked for taken away, men and women whose families were murdered and no one would do anything about it. Us assassins? We're just… precise mercenaries who handle a few more situations than typical thugs for hire. And we make sure the job gets done."

"You're… I see your point." He said at length, internally kicking himself for giving in. Vilkas didn't give in; he was never passive. He could count the number of times he'd said "Sorry" on one hand, and then count the number of times he gave in to anyone on that very same hand. Kodlak was the exception; he'd been raised by him, and looked up to him as a father.

In his eyes, the Harbinger was practically infallible, and Vilkas could admit to him when he was wrong. Her gaze flickered over his features, noticing an indescribable emotion passing through his eyes as he stared off at something she couldn't see.

"Vilkas, what's gotten in to you lately?" the young woman inquired, calling his attention back to the present. He seemed to consider a moment, lifting the hand whose grip on her wrist had been slowly loosening while she spoke to trail his callused fingers across her cheek and down along her jaw before ghosting over her throat.

"Call it a shift in perspective." He replied at length, meeting her gaze for a brief moment before turning and heading down the hall to his bedroom. An inexplicable blush had formed on Marlena's cheeks as she headed toward her bed, plopping heavily down upon the mattress of straw and hide. She was sure he saw the way she bit her lip whenever he was around, and maybe even how she leaned into him whenever he touched her. But he was so dark and broody sometimes that she wasn't sure that to think. One minute he wouldn't look at her, then he'd be so focused she didn't know what was going on, and then sometimes he would touch her hair, her face, like he'd done earlier. And then he wouldn't look at her again and just walk off as if nothing had happened.

'_You're letting him get to you… Is it really worth the risk? You __**are**__ Dragonborn; probably the most danger-prone person in all of Tamriel.' _Marlena chided herself as she kicked off her boots and lay down on her bed. _'Could it really end in anything but heart break… If he's even interested in you and you aren't just being the fool.' _The young woman mused as she closed her eyes. Sure, she'd been with men before, but only two, and they were casual flings with friends. In the Imperial City, people were generally more open with sexual matters and saw it more as a type of bonding than strictly a reproductive process. So, having a few close friends you were comfortable enough to have sex with wasn't entirely uncommon, particularly among younger generations.

But really, she'd never been truly romantically interested in anyone before, and she'd come to know that here in Skyrim, they took relationships a bit more seriously. Particularly among warriors. You never knew when you were going to die, so if you truly loved someone, and they loved you, there was no point in having a long courting period with the looming threat of death. Had Skyrim done this to her; made her more willing to consider getting married in the near future? Marlena forced the thoughts from her mind, closing her eyes tightly as she willed herself to sleep. Honestly, she really didn't want to think about any of that right now.

Vilkas sat quietly in his room, head in his hands. His thoughts were racing, trying to figure out exactly what was going on. He looked up when he heard a knock on his door, his twin soon poking his head in.

"Are you alright?" he asked with concern, inviting himself in and pulling a chair over to sit opposite his brother after closing the door. "You seem distracted lately." He commented, Vilkas looking up to his younger brother.

It was times like these, when the tables turned, that he truly came to appreciate Farkas and everything it meant to have him. Even though he rarely showed it, Vilkas truly cared about his twin more than anything and would, and has, done everything in his power to protect him. But they weren't children anymore, and Farkas could stand on his own two feet. Sure, some things took him a little longer to grasp, but once he got it he could do it again and again without any thought. He was loyal, thoughtful, and could read him better than anyone else. Sometimes, it was like they shared a brain. Especially in instances like this.

"It's just-…"

"Marlena." Farkas finished for him, the older man nodding slightly.

"Yes. She has this way of getting to me that I can't understand. Being around her; sometimes, I feel the beast clawing with all its might to get out, and other times, I'm more at peace than I have been in years."

Farkas gave him a knowing look. "Brother, I may not be as smart as you are, but it seems to me that you really like her. I've never seen you get this hung up over a bar wench, so it must be special. And you know, I think she likes you too. She gave me some very good advice not too long ago that I want to pass on to you: Don't jump in too fast, but if you like her, get to know her. Just be straight with her, and let her know you're interested."

Slowly, Vilkas nodded. "I just may do that."

* * *

TBC


	5. The Grand Gesture

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 5: The Grand Gesture**

* * *

After hearing from Kodlak that they would head out to the Silver Hand's primary base in one week, when the scattered camps were scheduled to regroup, the entirety of the Companions set off on other jobs to pass the time. At various points throughout the week, Ria and Athis headed off to retrieve a stolen heirloom, Farkas was sent to check in with some old contacts in Falkreath, Aela and Njada were given the task of clearing a mine of bandits somewhere Rorikstead, and Marlena and Vilkas were sent to Hjaalmarch to get rid of a group of bandits who'd been harassing the population of a small town near the mountains south of Morthal. They met up in front of Jorrvaskr, Marlena ready in her ebony mail and Nightingale boots and gloves and Vilkas in his wolf armor, and after a final supply check the shield siblings headed out of Whiterun and followed the dirt road north.

The trip was quiet, if not a bit awkward at times, as if neither of them knew what to say. But the truth was, they didn't know much about each other; only what they'd observed in the last few months. When they stopped to take a break late-afternoon about half way between the town that'd paid for their assistance and the camp they were to eliminate, Vilkas decided to take his brother's advice and asked her about Cyrodiil. At first, Marlena wasn't sure what to say. But the pure curiosity in his gaze was enough to prompt her to speak.

"I never told you about Helgen, but I guess I can fill you in as I go... Basically, I took a blow to the head and lost a lot of my memories before ending up in Helgen, but since then I've managed to regain most of what I've forgotten. I'm sure there's still a lot I don't remember, I don't know if I ever will..." Marlena seemed troubled at the thought, but, the offset of her lips righted itself a fraction of a second later as she returned to her story.

"I grew up in the Imperial City and had left its walls only a handful of times before coming to Skyrim. But the city is beautiful, more so than any city I've encountered here. No offense. But, it's a very different place. There's a lot more racial diversity than you see here in Skyrim, and the climate changes dramatically as you head out from Nibenay Valley. A lot of the races you Nords aren't too fond of live in Cyrodiil; Imperials, obviously, Khajiit, Argonians, Dunmer… there are a few Nords father north, but not very many. But really, Cyrodiil as a whole is like a big melting pot for all the surrounding providences." Marlena explained, her eyes occasionally taking on a distant look as she reminisced about her childhood.

As if sensing the direction her thoughts were heading, he rested his chin on his twined fingers. "And what about you? What was your life like in the Imperial City?"

The female smiled softly, folding her hands lightly in her lap. "Well, as you know, the Imperial City is the home of the Emperor and the Elder Council. Therefore, our race highly values diplomacy and education, leading to most of us being very well spoken. We learn how to conduct ourselves in ways that are found inoffensive to most races… which is why we frequently come off as being a little distant. My upbringing was similar to most females born in an upper-middleclass family. Most of my time was spent in school or taking lessons; speaking, singing, dancing, lute, you name it. Female Imperial warriors aren't uncommon, but it's not a popular occupation for anyone above the lower class, which is comparable to your middleclass, so to speak. My mother was a singer in the Emperor's court, and my father had begun as an Imperial Archer but later became a General, and then one of the Emperor's personal consultants when I was thirteen. And my older brother, Sulla, was also an archer and from what I hear has begun following in father's footsteps. Needless to say, I didn't really enjoy the lifestyle. Mother controlled my education, insisting that with my beauty I could become a dancer and live like her. But, I just… I didn't feel right. And I rebelled a lot. I snuck out at night to be with friends, learned how to pickpocket from beggars, all kinds of things. I always just felt like I was missing out every time I passed a solider talking about a battle or an adventurer recounting a tale of great riches."

Yes, Vilkas knew the feeling very well.

"Sulla had always spoiled me, and I remember him buying me my first dagger and teaching me how to defend myself after I recounted stories I'd heard to him. Over the years I begged my father to teach me how to use a bow and a sword, and he finally gave in. And it all went from there, so to speak. Mother wasn't happy when she found out, but I was almost nineteen and ready to leave home. So, she gave in and contented herself with knowing I was happy and that, if anything, I had my dancing to fall back on."

Again, Marlena's lips quirked faintly as she continued. "I stayed with my brother and his wife while I trained with a friend of father's, and about half a year ago, I decided to come here. I traveled for a while, made some friends and some enemies. I was going back to Cyrodiil to visit my family when I got caught in a trap set for the Stormcloaks by the Imperial Army's faction in Skyrim. They were the ones that brought me to Helgen. No one in that branch knew who my father was, but I can't say that even if they had, things wouldn't have turned out as they did. And really, I wouldn't change it if I could."

The young woman recalled, her eyes drifting off slightly before flickering back to him. "What about you, Vilkas?"

The young man had become so enchanted with listening to her voice that it'd been almost difficult to focus on what she was actually saying, but at the same time he found everything she'd told him burned into his memory. Her upbringing was intriguing, and although he wondered what an Imperial dancer looked like, he was more concerned with revealing his own past. Not very many people knew the details of his and Farkas's coming to Jorrvaskr, but he decided that he could trust her with the information after her being so open with him.

"Farkas and I were born near Dawnstar, and it was our mother who raised us." The Nord began, shifting slightly to rest his elbows on his knees and pick at his gloves. "We never had a father, and we were too young to ask what happened to him. We were only two years old when Kodlak had her come to Whiterun and paid for her to live in the city. She didn't have a job, not that she has much time raising twins, which was why Kodlak wanted us to come to Whiterun in the first place. He and her father had been very close friends and he was like a second father. He wanted to keep her safe. She spent most nights drinking, and that's how she ended up drunk and falling down the steps out front of the Bannered Mare. Poor woman broke her neck in the fall. And after that, Kodlak took us in; raised it like his own. Closest thing to a father I ever had." He explained slowly, struggling at some points.

"You and your brother are very fortunate to have been taken in by person like Kodlak. He has kind eyes, a lot like Farkas. He's a good man." Marlena affirmed, Vilkas nodding.

"Aye. Best man I've ever met."

After eating a few slices of bread and cheese, they prepared themselves and made their way out to dispatch the bandits. Their camp was nestled in a shallow cave alongside a jagged overhang, meaning it would be very difficult to approach form any angle without being seen; except for one. That was why Marlena lead her shield brother up over the ridge and out on top of the outcropping of rock.

"If we go down the side, we should be able to take them out before they have a chance to get ready." She observed in a whisper, the male nodding.

He was about to take the lead when she began creeping down the side of the overhang. He couldn't help the smirk that formed as he followed, amused by her forthrightness. She crept along the wall, waiting for him to join her before glancing back to him and receiving a nod. With that, they set to work clearing the camp. Although there weren't many, they were skilled bandits who'd clearly seen their fair share of scuffles. Nonetheless, they were no match for the two man juggernaut force that'd descended upon them. It took some time, with each of the Companions holding off two or three bandits at once, but just like that it seemed that it was over. After killing of the last of them, the two explored the camp, taking anything of significant value before making their way out the front of the cave.

A deafening shout of an ancient beast soon broke the stillness of the landscape, the two ducking as it swooped low along the face of the mountain before inclining sharply as it circled back towards them. Apparently the scent of blood and the noise of battle had stirred the beast from its perch higher up in the mountain range. Vilkas's eyes were wide surprise as he looked up at the great winged creature as it rounded on them, his eyes soon shifting to the woman beside them. Her shoulders had pulled back as she inhaled deeply, eyes more fierce than he'd ever seen before.

Just as he turned his gaze back to the dragon as it hovered before them, head rearing back in preparation to strike, a wave of sound comprised of three demonic sounding words unlike anything he'd heard before echoed against the rock around them. The visible wave shot past him and struck the threatening creature, causing it to howl in surprise and agony before plummeting towards the ground. After expelling the Dragonrend shout from her lungs, Marlena was forced to take a few breaths to regain her footing. In that time, Vilkas had rushed toward the scaled beast and began hacking away at its snout, causing it to snarl, bite, and send out strangled bursts of flame as Dragonrend forced the beast to stay grounded.

He quickly realized that Marlena wasn't beside him, and he couldn't hear her over the dragon's pained shouts; not that he could ever hear her anyway. He spared a glance over his shoulder to find her gone, missing the way she scrambled up onto the ledge and drew her greatsword. With a running start and a soft huff of exertion, she launched herself off the overhang seemed to soar through the air for a moment before driving her sword down into the dragon's skull, applying the force of her own weight to its full potential as she locked her arms and dropped onto one knee with the force of the impact. The sensation of bones shattering under her blade made her shiver, but the slight twitch that preceded the creature's body collapsing limply on the ground was enough to tell her that it was dead. For good, hopefully.

Marlena slowly got to her feet as the creature's scales began to peel away as flames erupted from its belly, working her blade from the dragon's skull and slinging it onto her back as the beast's soul seemed to be wretched from its body and sucked into her own. When she finally turned to climb off the bare skull, she stopped in her tracks when found Vilkas staring up at her like a man who'd seen the sun for the first time. Indeed, at that moment she was quite a sight. The sun had begun to sink below the horizon just over her shoulder, and the fading light glinted off her armor and caused the fiery manifestation of the dragon's power to wrap her body in a glowing halo.

Had Shor and Dibella ever had a daughter and embodied her in human flesh, he would swear on his life that Marlena was that daughter. There was the faintest touch of pink in her cheeks as she made her way down the dragon's snout, surprised when Vilkas was there offering a hand to help her down. Once she was on the ground at his side, he still held gently onto her hand and pulled her lightly to his chest.

"You weren't lying, then?" he asked in a muted tone, her forehead creasing slightly as she looked up at him.

"About what, exactly?"

"When you said you killed a few dragons. And what you did, with your voice. There's more to it." He was giving her those eyes again, like he _needed_ to know, and would go to any length to find out.

She bit her lip slightly as she did her best to meet his intense gaze. "Aye… There may be."

"The only living humans capable of using the Voice are the Greybeards, and the Dragonborn. That's you, isn't it Marlena?" the Nord inquired, her lips forming a faint smile.

"Aye. But as I told your brother, keep it a secret, alright?"

He felt a slight nudge of something, jealousy?, at learning that Farkas knew of this first, but eventually nodded and managed smile. "Consider my lips sealed." He said after a moment, slightly surprised when she reached up to brush a short strand of hair off his forehead.

"If we go now, we should be able to Morthal before it gets too dark." She commented, her peaceful eyes skimming the intenseness of his features. It wasn't too hard to see a flash of surprise pass through his eyes at her touch, considering it was usually him who initiated any form of contact. But this time, it was all her, and he felt a warm sensation bubbling in his abdomen as her fingers glided down over his cheek and along his jawline, his ever-present stubble tugging at her unusually smooth fingertips.

For a moment he understood how she must've felt every time he touched her, seeing as right then he was sure he couldn't move his limbs even if he wanted to. But then, in the next instant, he bent down and captured her lips in an unexpected kiss. At first he was slightly unsure and his kiss was borderline hesitant, but as her arms slipped around his neck and she returned his kiss with relative eagerness, he was quick to regain his confidence and pull her to him as he kissed her with growing ferocity. Her lips were soft and supple, and everything he could've wanted. He pulled her closer, one hand pressing on her lower back and the other between her shoulder blades, enjoying the way the fingers on one of her hands curled into the hair at the base of his skull and the other hand pressed warmly to the side of his neck just under his jaw.

At first, Marlena wasn't sure what was happening, but then she saw that hungry look in his eyes and as soon as he dipped his head, she closed her eyes and met his firm, lightly chapped lips. Once she returned the kiss he began testing her, sucking her bottom lip until it was plump and she nipped his lower lip in retaliation, for which reason his lips formed into a daring smirk. Although it seemed like minutes, it was closer to a handful of seconds before Marlena was forced to break the kiss to breathe, her eyes flicking open to look up at him once they had parted. There was a faint smirk on his lips as he raised his hand from her shoulder blades to cup her cheek, admiring his handiwork as his thumb brushed over her lips.

"We should probably go now… unless you'd prefer to be stumbling out in the snow in the dark." She said softly, the male flicking his eyes up to hers briefly before leaning to press a gentle, chaste kiss to her lips.

"Aye. A warm bed sounds nice right about now." Vilkas agreed, unable to help the small smile that formed as she grinned up to him. He ran his hand gently over her hair as she detached herself from him and started heading North, following closely behind her. They walked in contented silence, clearly eager to rest after such a tiring day. They soon reached the Moorside Inn, Marlena leading the way in and approaching the smiling young woman behind the counter.

"Good evening. How may I help you?" Jonna asked warmly, the Imperial returning her smile as she pulled some coins from her pocket.

"We'd like two—"

"One room for the night." Vilkas cut in to Marlena's slight surprise, setting the appropriate amount of coins on the counter. The redguard woman gave them a slightly knowing smile before motioning to a room off to her right.

"It's yours." Marlena glanced up to Vilkas with a faint smile, and he returned the gesture before placing a light hand on her lower back and guiding her to the room. As Marlena heard the door close behind her she began working off her gloves, tossing them on the small table in the corner of the room, followed by sitting her foot up on the nearby chair to undo her boots. By the time she'd gotten out of her mail and was left only in only a pair of dark trousers she'd cut up well past mid-thigh, to the point they just covered her rear, and a fitted white tunic that stopped at her waist, she turned to find Vilkas already in bed, bare-chested and only wearing a pair of dark trousers with her back to her.

She smiled, soon climbing in bed and laying with her back pressed to his, his particular Nordic warmth beginning to seep into her skin. Her eyes soon closed against the only light in the room; a small candle sitting on the table, which she hadn't bothered to extinguish. She was only mildly surprised when she felt Vilkas roll over and wrap his arms around her stomach, pulling her close to his body. Her lips formed a soft smile as he nuzzled his face into the back of her neck, comforted by the intimate gesture. He could've very easily just been interested of having a roll in bed and be done with it, but as she felt his breathing slow and even out, she contented herself with knowing that it was maybe a little more than that. He had opened up to her more today than he had up to this point, and she was grateful for it. He wasn't just a shield brother or a Companion; he was a man, with a past and a future. And she could very well just be imagining herself as part of a childhood fantasy, but it seemed that he wanted her to be a part of his future, just as she was starting to want Vilkas as part of hers.

* * *

The following morning Marlena was awakened by the sensation of callused fingers running along the length of her arm and down over her waist, and then back up over her shoulder and up her neck. She sighed softly, rolling a bit to look up at him. He looked sleepy, a state which made her laugh quietly as her fingers ran through his hair.

"Somehow I knew you wouldn't keep your hands entirely to yourself." She admitted, the Nord letting out a soft huff.

"Any man waking up next to you wouldn't stand a chance. And I'm just a man." He mused, Marlena shaking her head gently as his hand came to rest on her abdomen.

She wasn't quite sure what they had going, or what it was truly classified as, but she was happy with it. She'd be naïve to think that Vilkas had never been with a woman; despite his brooding nature, he had admitted he was still a man, and he certainly had urges, especially with his beast blood. Any sort of relief made it just a little more bearable.

"You know, I don't think I'm ready to get up just yet." she murmured, one hand trailing gently up his neck. He let out a chuckle, a wolfish smirk forming on his lips as he bent his head down to kiss her again. It was soft and encouraging to the point that it even surprised Vilkas. He and his brother were both notably… enthusiastic in bed, but for some reason he couldn't help being gentle with her. He knew full well that she was strong and capable, but he had to see her the next day and felt like being exceptionally possessive or rough wouldn't be in good taste. Not to mention he felt like taking his time, "get to know her", as per his brother's advice.

He kissed her gently, his hands smoothing down over her collarbone as her own hands slid up his abdomen, tracing the scars she came across, no doubt from his earlier years of training. He broke the kiss several times to look down at her as she examined his scars, taking the time to do the same and trace the faint one that cut across her throat at an odd angle just above her collarbone. There were so few scars on her body, something not entirely unexpected considering the fact that she'd been an adventurer for so few years, even though it also attributed credibility to her abilities. He had been fighting practically since he could walk in one way or another, so it wasn't very surprising to find that he had scars that he'd long since forgotten about. But, she didn't seem bothered in the least.

Soon, Vilkas had settled his head gently in the crook of her neck, her arms wrapped loosely around his shoulders as his own returned to her waist. It was a quiet moment where he could just breathe in the gentle scent of her skin as her fingers played with the ends of his hair. He'd always found thrill in the fight, ever since he was young he wanted to join the Companions and do battle alongside Kodlak. And he got his wish; he became a Companion at 16 and had been dueling it out ever since.

But right now, all he could think was how he could get used to this, used to having Marlena in his arms just because. Unfortunately, they did have more work to do. Begrudgingly, after another lingering kiss, the two got to their feet and got dressed. After having a quick breakfast at the inn, they took the the road back to Whiterun arm in arm.

They arrived mid-afternoon in significantly good spirits, so much so that Farkas easily took notice and gave them a knowing smile. It wasn't like they'd actually _done _anything, but Marlena couldn't help the faint blush that tinted her cheeks as she hurried downstairs to let Kodlak know they were back and the job was done. She was faintly relieved when Vilkas didn't follow, no doubt staying in the mead hall to talk to his brother. After reporting in to Kodlak, he asked her to sit.

"Marlena, I have something very important I need to talk to you about. And, I have a favor to ask."

"What is it Kodlak?" she inquired, slight concern slipping through her carefully constructed mask

"As you no doubt have heard, I am not the upmost supporter of the beast blood. I respect Aela and Skjor's position because it would be a paradise for them to end up in Hircine's Hunting Grounds. For me, I dream of Sovngarde. And I cannot go with the curse of the beast upon me."

"How did this whole beast blood thing start, anyway?" Marlena asked, the male smiling.

"You read my mind. In a way. In response to your question, a former Harbinger made a deal with some hagravens that call themselves the Glenmoril Witches. And that is where things get interesting. I believe I have found a way to cure the beast blood. It was old magic that brought this curse upon us, and old magic that will take it from us. For this reason, I require the heads of the Glenmoril Witches."

"And you want me to do it? Why?" Marlena inquired, lips pursing slightly.

He smiled faintly, leaning back in his chair slightly. "My dear, I have known of your history the moment you walked through that door. I knew of your relations with the Thieves Guild, the Dark Brotherhood, even your fate as Dragonborn. You are truly destined for greatness; you succeed in any pursuit you put your mind to. And as such, I believe this would be a crowning achievement for you, both within and outside the Companions. The curer of the beast blood, and the slayer of the Glenmoril Witches. Also, I feel your detachment in combat and your precision should keep the heads… well intact."

"I appreciate your trust in me, Kodlak. When should I leave?" The Imperial then asked, feeling a slight sense of urgency beginning to build in her gut.

The elder man smile softly, looking her over as if he could feel the waves of anticipation rolling off her. "I'd prefer the upmost haste. Can you be ready in the morning?"

"Of course."

* * *

TBC.


	6. On the Edge of a Dream

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 6: On the Edge of a Dream**

* * *

Marlena slept fitfully through the night, a nagging sensation in the pit of her stomach causing her to awake frequently and violently. She slept through the early hour she typically awoke at, which lead to Vilkas entering the sleeping quarters as quietly as he possibly could, first peeking around the corner and noticing that she was still asleep before continuing the room and sitting on the edge of her bed. She stirred only slightly, eyes fluttering open at his presence as he gently pushed a strand of hair from her features, one of his typical greetings, it seemed.

"You usually do not sleep this late… Are you unwell?" the male inquired, the Imperial smiling sleepily as she propped herself up on her elbows.

"No, I'm fine… I just didn't sleep very well last night." She explained softly, touched by the man's show of concern.

"What are your plans for today?" the werewolf then inquired, Marlena doing her best not to show how much she wished he hadn't asked.

"I have a few things to check up on… with the Guild and everything." She lied easily, betraying only herself due to the almost painful knot forming in her throat.

But Vilkas merely nodded, unaware of her internal conflict. "Alright… Will you be back tonight?"

Marlena shrugged softly as she sat up fully, swinging her legs over the edge of the bed as she tried to ignore the concerned undertone of his voice. Already she was beginning to pick up on those small vocal fluctuations. "I don't know… I'll try to get back as soon as possible, time permitting." She said evenly, beginning to dress in her armor and pack her bag.

She felt the Nord watching the whole time, and once she was finished and turned to say something, lips slightly parted, he was there with a warm kiss that caught her slightly off guard. She returned it with some hesitation, but he didn't seem to notice even as he pulled away.

"Hurry back." He said to her, placing a brief kiss on her forehead before heading from the room.

It nearly broke Marlena's heart not to be able to tell him why she was leaving, but for what reason she was unsure. Somehow, despite the relatively short time she'd known him and the even shorter time since they'd more or less come to terms with the fact that there was something special between them, it felt like she was lying to someone she'd known her entire life. And just when it seemed like he was beginning to really trust her, not just as a Shield Sister, but as a friend.

And maybe something more.

She shook her head as if to clear it before heading upstairs and grabbing something to eat for breakfast, making her way from the mead hall afterwards and heading towards Glenmoril Coven in Falkreath Hold.

* * *

Following the dirt road along the White River to the south-west of Whiterun caused the trip to the coven to last nearly a day, the Imperial reaching Falkreath an hour or so after sundown. She paid Valga for a night in Dead Man's Drink before rising early the next morning to set out for where the Coven lay nestled at the lowest reaches of the Drundach Mountains. It was almost mid-day when she arrived at the mouth of the cave, and not but a few minutes later she re-emerged, the severed head of one Glenmoril Witch wrapped in several layers of cloth tucking into her pack.

Marlena had quickly eliminated the first hagraven she saw, which was fortunately just through the first bend in the deep cave, using a well-placed arrow to the heart before she severed the head with Mehrune's Razor and wrapped up her package. The return trip to Falkreath took her nearly to sundown, at which point she decided to pay Valga for another night before heading out in the morning.

All the while, and especially in the last day or so, the Imperial had the oddest sensation of an uncomfortable tingling at the base of her spine. It was usually a sign that something was wrong, but she hadn't encountered any dragons or distraught persons and reconciled that she was probably just worrying over nothing. Therefore, despite that nagging tingle, she expected nothing when she set out the next day before dawn and returned North to Whiterun.

* * *

The sight of the hold's high walls bathed in torchlight was soothing, and as she proceeded inside, everything seemed quite and calm. Once she reached the Cloud district, however, she noticed an unusual crowd of townsfolk and others gathered around the stairs leading up to Jorrvaskr.

With hurried confusion, she bounded up the steps to the first landing, where she found Torvor standing over the fallen body of a large burly man who appeared too well-armored to be a bandit.

"The Silverhand… They finally had the nerve to attack; we got most of them, but a few stragglers made it out." He explained, his gaze focused violently on the fallen man as one hand continued to rest on the hilt of his sword as if restraining himself from continuing to massacre the body beyond its current state of death.

Aela made her way over, looking at the young woman in a slightly unusual manner, as if she were equal parts confused and irate. "At least they're not a problem anymore." She commented off-handedly, Marlena looking to her in her own state of confusion.

"When did this happen?"

"Not but an hour ago… They just came out of nowhere." The huntress admitted, seeming more upset with herself at the moment.

There was a muttered curse under the youngest Companion's breath as she headed more hurriedly up the second level of stairs before entering Jorrvaskr.

Vilkas turned at the sound of the door opening, his senses still in overdrive from the battle that'd just been fought on their own ground. It was Marlena; looking uncharacteristically nervous but unharmed. And for some reason, that just made his blood boil. He spun quickly and stormed over, reaching her just as she descended the few steps onto the floor of the mead hall.

"Where were you? Why did it take you so long?" he demanded, his voice restrained as he openly glared at her. Her taken aback look only made things worse.

"Kod-… I had to do something…" she said quietly, slightly shaken over the suddenly hostile tone Vilkas had taken with her.

"I hope it was important," the Nord spat before making a gesture with his head, "because it means you weren't here to defend Kodlak or your shield siblings."

He watched as her uniquely vibrant eyes turned in the direction he'd nodded before widening in surprise at the sight of Kodlak's body laying still on the floor, Farkas kneeling beside it with large tears streaming down his face and Njada attempting to comfort him to little avail.

"The Silverhand finally found enough courage to attack Jorrvaskr. We fought them off, but…" He sneered faintly at the dumbstruck look on her face. This wasn't Marlena; it couldn't be. What on earth was she doing? Maybe this was all wrong; them being together was changing her, and she was losing who she was.

"Was anyone else hurt?" he heard her ask, and shook his head in spite of himself.

"No. But they made off with the fragments of Wuuthrad." He watched as her face slowly returned to what could be considered normal; relaxed, thoughtful… but it held a darker undertone, as if maintaining that mask was taking every ounce of self-control. It served her right… If she'd been here at Jorrvaskr, the Silverhand wouldn't have stood a chance. The Companions had been outnumbered, but only marginally. If Marlena had been here, they would have been able to put up a winning fight, and Kodlak wouldn't have had died. He watched as she sat heavily on the steps, resting her head in her hands, but made no move to comfort her and instead went to be with Farkas.

They had to prepare Kodlak's body for burning.

* * *

Why did this have to happen? Why by the Nines did the Silverhand have to come in her absence? Marlena pondered these questions hard over the next few hours, remaining on the steps near the entrance of the mead hall while the other Companions worked around her, clearing away bodies and soon bringing Kodlak's body up to Skyforge.

Knowing that being at his funeral was the least she could give him at this point, the Imperial gathered herself up and headed downstairs to store the Witch head, the cause of her absence, in her trunk. It was useless now, wasn't it? She didn't even know what to _do _with it, even if she had it in her possession. Vilkas had every right to blame her for not being there; she'd chosen to go off on this little task, knowing that it would take a while, accounting for travel. And that feeling of foreboding she'd had? It'd been completely merited; even after all this time, she sometimes doubted herself. If she hadn't…

Momentarily pausing her train of thought, for Kodlak's sake, she removed her armor and pulled on a dark long-sleeved tunic and her Thieves Guild pants and boots. She slowly returned to the mead hall before heading out through the back door, noting that the Skyforge was emitting an unusual amount of light, and the torches that sat around the outer edge of the forge were lit in show of respect. There were several loose silhouettes visible overtop the edge of the Skyforge, and Marlena had to close her eyes for a brief moment to reel herself in.

'This is for Kodlak… It was all for Kodlak…' she reminded herself, forcing her feet to move forward even before her eyes opened again. As she reached the top of the steps she noticed for the first time that a light rain had begun to fall. Only a few drops here and there, but even if it was a downpour, the weather would have a hard time convincing the Companions not to go through with Kodlak's funeral.

Marlena was the last to arrive and fall silently into the loose half-circle with the rest of the Companions between Aela and Farkas. For a brief moment she could feel Vilkas's burning gaze seeking hers out, but she stubbornly kept her head down. The amount of effort she was exerting to keep herself under control was already immense, and she didn't think she would be able to deal with the added weight of the Nord's guilt-ridden glare. Finally, Aela spoke up, drawing the attention of the Companions and other notable guests, such as the court wizard and the Jarl himself.

"I'll do it…" The Huntress began, taking a small step toward the richly decorated wooden structure that held Kodlak's body aloft over the Skyforge. "Before the ancient flame,"

"We grieve." Marlena stood quietly, taking in the words of those who spoke in response to Aela's call. Funerals in Cyrodiil, even for warriors, never commenced in this fashion; it was all Nordic tradition, and the words of the call-and-response prayer were often written by each family. Or in this case, by the Companions.

"At his loss," Eorlund then continued,

"We weep."

"For the fallen," This time, it was Vilkas's lilt that continued the prayer,

"We shout."

"And for ourselves," Farkas recited, catching Marlena's eye briefly.

"We take our leave."

Aela lit a torch from one of the cisterns already aflame around the Skyforge before stepping forward and casting it upon Kodlak's resting place, falling back in between Marlena and Vilkas as all in attendance watched the flames creep over timber and cloth, and eventually over skin and hair.

The stench of a burning corpse was one Marlena was, unfortunately, familiar with, but it didn't make it any more bearable. Slowly, after Aela called the members of the Circle to meet in the Underforge in the morning, the attendees departed until Marlena was left, her hands folded unconsciously over her abdomen in the fashion she'd been taught since childhood. Only then did Eorlund approach her.

"I have a favor to ask of 'ye…" the old Nord spoke, shifting his weight slightly. "There was a last piece of Wuuthrad that Kodlak always kept close to him. Probably in his chambers somewhere. I need to fix Wuuthrad for mounting once 'ye retrieve the rest of the pieces and was hoping you would be the one to get the last piece for me; I don't feel I'd be the right person to be going through his things."

The young woman looked up at him with unusually soulful eyes, nodding slightly in assent.

"Yes… I'll bring the fragments to you as soon as we retrieve them."

The man managed a wrinkled smile before clapping her shoulder and heading off towards home, leaving the brunette standing alone amongst plumes of smoke that was carried away by the wind the rainstorm had brought. What had started out as a light drizzle was now a true storm, the fire hissed and fought against the same water that sometimes splattered against Marlena's cheeks and forehead with enough force to sting.

* * *

It was well past sunset and the storm cast heavy shadows over Whiterun and likely all of the Hold. Slowly, the Imperial had descended from Skyforge, but not back into Jorrvaskr. Instead, she scaled the wall and curled up in her cubbyhole amongst the rough stones and crumbling plaster. There was a slight overhang, but only enough that it kept the rain from pouring directly upon her face.

The amount of time she spent sitting there was indeterminate, her eyes focused on a spinning windmill off in the distance, but it was long enough that the shivers that'd been brought on by the icy rain had faded from the front of her mind altogether. Not until Vilkas's voice called out to her, barely a whisper, did reality come rushing back.

She resisted the urge to look down at him, standing just below her inches from the wall, fearing what she would see when she did. But, Marlena's resolve was broken when his second call of her name reached her ears. There was no trace of the accusative glare she expected; instead, he looked concerned, and haunted. Lately, more so than when she first met him, there was always the slightest hint in his eyes that he was struggling against something to keep it repressed. But now she understood. And with Kodlak's death, it must have become even worse.

Now, he was fighting the beast blood without the very man who most strongly fought against it, and fought to cure it. He opened his mouth to say something, but before he could get the words out Marlena cut him off.

"It's my fault."

The air was pushed sharply from his lungs as he looked up at the female, unable to make sense of what he was hearing for a short time. Suddenly, his words from earlier that day rang in his head and self-loathing settled in his gut. He looked up at her, her hair soaked and hanging in straggled waves, eyes soft, open, and full of the same guilt he was feeling.

The slightly red rimming of her eyes and the pink tip of her nose hinted that she may be crying, but with all the rain it was hard to tell. But at that moment, with her normally crisp vermillion war paint smeared and body wracked with small tremors brought on by the cold, she was still breathtaking. Swallowing heavily, he made a weak motion with his hands.

"Come here…" He beckoned, watching carefully as she, in turn, watched him for several long seconds before slowly creeping back down the wall. The Nord looked carefully for any sign of uncertainty or hesitancy on her part as he took a small step forward before carefully encircling his arms around her. He knew he was forgiven when she turned in his embrace and tucked her head beneath his chin, something he found he liked when she did.

Not wanting to ruin the moment with words, and having no idea what to say at any rate, the Nord slowly shifted to cradle Marlena against his chest, carrying her as if she were glass in his arms through the doors of Jorrvaskr and down into the washroom on the lower level, where he'd prepared a bath for himself but never had a chance to get in. He'd become concerned when he went to relay a message to Athis and realized Marlena wasn't in the bunk room with the rest before going up to look for her. He'd had some time to think and his previous actions had begun to weigh heavily on him; it wasn't Marlena's fault she chose to leave when she did, she had no way of knowing any of this would happen.

It was all an unfortunate series of decisions on their part and on the part of the Silverhand that lead to this. And there he was, blaming her for everything. For all he knew, had she been there, she may've ended up dead instead of Kodlak. Vilkas couldn't decide which prospect frightened him more.

Setting the brunette on a chair in the washroom beside the large steel tub filled with steaming water, the Nord gently went about unlacing her boots and slipping them off before helping her out of her tunic, pants, and undergarments before guiding her into the tub. At that moment, he was far more concerned with alleviating the hollow look in her eyes than anything, and although it was impossible not to look at her, all he felt was the overwhelming urge to simply take care of her, not take advantage of her.

After slipping out of his own clothing and placing it in a loose pile on the floor near the chair, he slid into the water behind where Marlena sat curled with her knees level with her chin, eyes focused on some speck of dirt on the wall. Slowly, he cupped his hands and brought a small amount of water up to her shoulders, letting it run over her cream-colored skin. She was still shivering occasionally, but the tremors were lessening in frequency and intensity as she sat in the heated water. Carefully, Vilkas warmed her body with the water's assistance, soon re-wetting her hair and picking up a bottle from what he knew to be 'her area' of the ledge alongside the tub.

He gently poured the light purple liquid over her hair and worked his fingers through the soft strands before rinsing away the tonic that smelled of Nightshade and Mountain Flowers finally understanding where her unique scent came from. His calloused hands ran in a gentle massaging fashion over her shoulders and back, becoming slightly worried by her stillness. That sensation, however, was overpowered by a feeling of uncertainty when she finally did move.

Once Marlena turned to face him fully, he found himself relax at the sad albeit hopeful expression that had fallen over her features. She'd finally come back from whatever world she'd secluded herself in. He slowly reached out to rub away the remains of her war paint, and it struck him that he'd never before seen her without it.

Her eyes had fallen closed when his fingers began cleaning the red streaks from her face, and as she opened them, Vilkas was further relieved to find a soft smile form on her features as she gently cupped her hands and began pouring handfuls of now lightly-scented water over his body and gently cleaning away the sweat and dirt that came with being a Companion. Only when the water had begun to cool did Vilkas climb out, pulling on the lower half of the clean set of clothing he'd brought in earlier before taking Marlena's hand and gently guiding her from the tub.

One of the fascinating things he'd noticed about her, and possibly about all Imperials, was that her body lacked any hair from the shoulders down; no arm hair, leg hair, anything. But, her skin was also incredibly soft. He marveled quietly at this as he wrapped her gently in a brown cloth towel, pulling her close to keep her warm while the towel absorbed most of the water before replacing the cloth with a white long-sleeve tunic that brushed her thighs, and was the upper half of his ensemble, before moving on to help wring most of the water from her hair.

Soon, Marlena removed the towel from her dark tresses and moved on to pat the Nord's face and bare torso dry before gently rustling his hair with the towel to get most of the moisture out.

She watched him thoughtfully as his eyes closed while her hands gently dried his dark hair, his own hands having found purchase on her hips and busied themselves drawing light patterns on the small of her back. When he'd first carried her in here she'd been confused, and once he started undressing her she felt panicked but she was still too sluggish to do anything about it. It'd taken half of the bath, until he just sat there, rubbing her back and shoulders reassuringly, that she was convinced that she really wasn't in any danger; he wasn't expecting or asking anything of her.

He was just… being nice.

And by then, Marlena really was starting to feel better. He didn't blame her, and she was starting to see that blaming herself wasn't the right path either. Here he was, doing so much to make her feel better, when he was probably feeling ten times worse than she was. She had to stand on her toes to reach his lips, but right then she could think of no other way to express how thankful she was, not just for this, but also for simply being him. She felt him smile into the kiss, an action that reaffirmed her own feelings, before pulling away and gathering her things while Vilkas drained the tub.

As they left the washroom and Marlena turned to head back to the barracks, Vilkas caught her arm and gently spun her to his chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" he inquired in a soft, slightly playful rumble that made the Imperial smile up at him.

"Apparently somewhere different than I'd initially planned."

Only once they'd fallen into Vilkas's bed, Marlena wrapped securely in his arms with her head beneath his chin, did the Nord finally have the words to say what he'd been unable to before.

"It wasn't your fault. I'm sorry…" he volunteered quietly, feeling her shift slightly as if attempting to look up at him.

"I was angry, at myself, for not fighting harder, and you of anyone should know how hard it is for me to admit when I do something wrong, and-"

The brunette gently cut him off by pulling away from him slightly. "Vilkas, you couldn't have done anything better than you did… We have an old saying in the Imperial City. "What's done is done, and what will be will be." You can't change what happened to Kodlak, and now you have to focus on making sure things that need to be done get done. And about that, there's something I need to tell you-"

This time, it was Vilkas who cut her off. "Tomorrow; right now, we both need to rest. Or at least relax." He murmured, lips brushing her hairline before dipping to kiss her forehead. Marlena was about to protest but finally nodded in assent.

He was right; Kodlak was at peace for the time being, and they could discuss a more permanent solution in a few hours.

* * *

For the second time, Marlena awoke to the gentle sensation of fingers trailing along her skin; down the back of her arm and along her hip, then up across her cheek and down the back of her neck. The gentle touches continued even after a small smile curled on her lips and her eyes cracked open a bit to find Vilkas watching her features placidly, soon leaning forward to place a kiss on her forehead. It was one of the little gestures he seemed to do often, and one she'd come to take comfort in.

"How are you?" he inquired as he pulled back to look at her, only to receive a small shake of the head in response.

"I should be asking _you_ that… Kodlak was like a father to you; I can't imagine what you must be going through." Marlena replied as she propped herself up on her elbow, touched by his concern but embodied by her desire to comfort. She watched as he dropped his head back onto the pillow, looking up at her with a slightly baleful expression.

"It will be… difficult without him here. He never named a new Harbinger, but I'm the next in the line of seniority. I suppose I will be the one to watch over the title until we can figure it out." Vilkas admitted, his pale gaze flickering to the bed linens beneath him.

"He was getting older, Vilkas… Maybe he wrote his thoughts down about who may take over for him. Do you know if he kept a journal?" The Imperial then inquired, forehead creasing as she let her fingertips brush his cheekbone.

"I'm not sure… But, I don't think we should go through his things either. It's not right." The Nord replied, sitting up a bit before leaning against the headboard.

"Vilkas, you know as well as I that it's best to tend to a wound while it's fresh… Waiting would only make the pain that much worse if we were to do it later. And do you really think he'd want all his belongings sitting around collecting dust?" As she spoke, her hand moved to rest atop where his lay folded on his abdomen.

"But, this really is a job for you and Farkas…" she added as an afterthought, meeting his gaze as he looked down to her. The vulnerability in his expression made her breath catch in her throat as he gently moved his hands to clasp her much smaller one between them.

"Marlena… I need you to be there… At this point, I don't think Farkas could handle it, and I certainly couldn't do it alone. I'd like to get this cleared up as quickly as possible so we can set about preserving his memory instead of wallowing in it." His hands trembled slightly as he held onto her, the young woman reaching up to brush a wavy strand of hair from his cheek.

"We'll set about it after breakfast, then." The female assured, placing a soft kiss on his lips before gently guiding him from bed. After telling him to meet her at the bottom of the stairs once he was dressed, she headed toward the barracks to change into her own clothing. She didn't mind much that she was traipsing around half-clothed; truly, these people were like a family to her. Also, she was sure they had other things on their minds beside her bare legs.

True enough, by the time she'd pulled on the lower half of her Thieves' Guild ensemble and a charcoal tunic with a small v-cut in the neck and sleeves that brushed the middle of her forearms, Vilkas was awaiting her in the doorway.

She smiled tentatively, taking his hand gently as she passed him and headed towards the doors, he gave a gentle squeeze before following her up into the mead hall. It seemed empty, despite Ria, Athis, and Njada's presence. They all sat silently, picking at their food more than actually eating it. Tilma offered them a sad smile as she brushed away dirt that'd gathered just inside the doors that lead outside from so many feet passing through.

If anyone noticed that Marlena was still holding onto Vilkas's hand they didn't say anything. Even Njada was quiet; it seemed the depressing atmosphere affected just as it had everyone else. The couple sat just as quietly as everyone else, eating a small meal before getting up to head downstairs. As they headed toward the stairs, a small knock came from one of Jorrvaskr's large doors that faced the stairs to the Wind District. Tilma, having moved to the other side of the mead hall to tend to the sweeping near the back doors that lead to the courtyard, caught Marlena's eye. Nodding softly, she looked up to Vilkas before releasing his hand and heading to see who their caller might be.

Marlena opened the door to find a young female Breton standing before her, clad in a pale blue dress with a brown bustier. She had a round, sweet face with large eyes that shone like copper and dark hair that hung in a plait down her spine, and a smile that seemed to make the room a little brighter.

"Excuse me… Might Farkas be home, and if so, may I see him?" the young woman inquired in a gentle, innocent voice, and Marlena noticed for the first time that she held a basket in her hands, the top of which was covered by a pristine white cloth. This must be the woman who Farkas had seemed so smitten by.

"I'm sure he'll see you." The Imperial replied, stepping aside a bit and beckoning their guest into the hall. The Breton, seeming calmed by the news, bowed her head lightly in thanks and entered Jorrvaskr, eyes weeping around in wonder. After closing the door, Marlena followed Vilkas down the stairs to the lower floor, the young woman trailing behind him. As they reached the place where Vilkas and Farkas's rooms split from the main hallway, the female Companion paused and turned to their guest.

"I'm sorry… I forgot to ask your name before." Marlena admitted, the Breton smiling softly to her.

"My name is Brynja… And you are?"

"Brynja; it's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Marlena, and this is Vilkas." The Imperial replied, motioning over her shoulder at the mention of the male.

"Your brother spoke often of both of you… It's a pleasure to finally meet you." Brynja replied, her eyes glimpsing searchingly to the hallway before which they'd stopped.

"His door is the one on the left… You're free to stay as long as you like." Vilkas commented softly, the Breton giving him a gentle smile before dipping her head slightly and offering a 'Thank you'. She proceeded down the short hallway, and Marlena and Vilkas took their leave just as she knocked at the door.

"I hope he's alright." Vilkas murmured, Marlena quickly re-claiming his hand and giving it a gentle squeeze.

"He's strong… And very sensible. And Brynja seems like the perfect person to be with him right now." The brunette assured him, her turquoise-green eyes meeting his gaze reassuringly. They paused momentarily when they reached the open doors that lead into the sitting room of Kodlak's chambers, Marlena waiting until the Nord felt comfortable enough to continue.

Soon, Vilkas headed into the room, looking around with a new sort of reverence. Slowly, without any need for words, they broke apart and began searching the nearby cabinets and sifting through books for any notes he may've stuck somewhere. They both came up empty handed and, after a soft, shaky breath from Vilkas, proceeded into Kodlak's bedroom. Much like owning a home, having a bedroom within a large community living space like Jorrvaskr was a person's most private space. Despite being brought up differently, Marlena could slightly understand the trepidation Vilkas faced upon entering the personal area of a man he'd come to see as a father.

What if he wrecked something? What if it was never the same again?

Very similar thoughts buzzed through the Nord's head like an angry swarm of honeybees as he gazed around before looking down to Marlena to see her standing there patiently, just waiting. He'd been brought up in a slightly harsh environment, but it'd taught him to take punches and roll with them before striking back. He'd never learned much about how to deal with emotional events like this. He felt like a wreck.

And here was Marlena, at his side, doing all that she knew to comfort him without making empty promises or false claims. He could still see the guilt in her eyes, and knowing he'd put it there pained him almost as much as Kodlak's death did. But, by the strong, firm grip of her fingers around his, he knew she wasn't going anywhere and would be there as long as she was needed.

Slowly, thankfully, he placed a gentle kiss on her knuckles before releasing her hand and making his way to one of the wardrobes. He had to start somewhere. As he began checking inside of shoes and pockets, he heard the soft sliding of drawers, and soon, he heard the light compression of straw as Marlena sat on the bed. He turned to look at her, eyes flickering to the book she held in her hands. It was a journal.

He made his way to sit at her side, watching her hands worry the spine and one of the corners. Sensing an odd sort of terseness in her figure, Vilkas placed a gentle hand on her forearm.

"What's going on in that head of yours?" he asked, noting the way her eyes seemed to dull slightly.

"What I wanted to tell you the last night. Why I wasn't here when the Silverhand attacked." The Imperial explained.

"You said you had business with the Guild, and—" Marlena looked up to him, shaking her head slightly.

"I wasn't doing anything with the Guild, nor the Brotherhood." Vilkas felt his lip twitch slightly, thoroughly perplexed and annoyed that he'd been lied to. He felt a small bubble begin to well in his gut, but something told him to stop, wait. He gave a nod after a moment, knowing Marlena had seen the displeasure in his eyes and was waiting on his okay to continue.

"Kodlak sent me on a task. He… He wanted me to get the head of the member of a sect of Hagravens that call themselves the Glenmoril Witches. The way he explained it was that the Witches were the ones who gave the Companions the 'gift' of the Beast Blood. He was convinced that an in-tact head would hold the cure in some way or another. I-I don't know what he planned on doing with it, though." She explained slowly, her lip quivering slightly on occasion.

Feeling the anger drain from him, he wrapped his arms around the woman and pulled her to his side, his cheek resting atop her head. By the Gods; this was why it was eating away at her so badly… She really did blame herself.

"This wasn't your fault, not at all… But, Marlena, why didn't you tell me you were going?" Vilkas asked softly before kissing the top of her head.

"Kodlak asked me not to… And you can't tell me that if I had told you, you wouldn't have gotten your hopes up? He knew what asking most anyone else would mean; the job wouldn't be done properly. I haven't had the Beast Blood for long enough to really despise it as you and Farkas do, and asking Aela would've been like rubbing salt in a wound."

Sadly, Vilkas knew what she was saying was true. Had Kodlak asked him to go get a head of some ancient Hagraven that was guilty of bringing this horrid blight upon him, he certainly would have had an outrageous amount difficulty controlling himself and bring back a head that hadn't been half-bludgeoned.

"Maybe he wrote what he planned on doing with it in his journal." He heard the Imperial murmur, passing the book into his hands. He gave a faint nod, keeping his arms around her as he undid the small wrap of string that held the leather cover closed before opening to the first page and beginning to read.

Kodlak spoke with a heavy heart of the pain associated with bearing the Beast Blood, but slowly his tone turned more hopeful after he spoke of a dream in which a stranger appeared beside him and fought one of Hircine's wolves to stall his own passing into the Hunting Grounds. Within the next few pages, he gave further detail of the qualities of the other Companions and gave the first indication of his decision to resist the lure of the Blood. Upon Marlena's appearance in the halls of Jorrvaskr, Kodlak identified her as the stranger in his dreams and, despite his premonition, knew he would have to wait and see how she would fare. His thoughts became more worried, though showed hopefulness when he told of Marlena's progress and finally, his request to retrieve the Head of a Glenmoril witch.

The next few pages were blank, a fact that made Vilkas sigh.

"That's it… He didn't write anything about how to use the head or anything." The Nord murmured in disappointment, pausing his closing of the book mid-way when Marlena rested her hand on the most-recently turned page.

"Wait…" she opened the book more fully before flipping towards the back, soon catching a deliberately dog-eared page. That page in particular help a synopsis of his research and laid out, quite simply, how he figured lycanthropy could cured not only for the living, but for the departed.

"We found it." The Imperial murmured, looking up to him almost hopefully.

"The only problem… It says here that the head should be placed in the Flame of the Harbinger. That flame is in Ysgramor's tomb, and we would need Wuuthrad all in one piece." Vilkas replied, tapping the dried ink in emphasis.

"Then… I guess we're paying the Silverhand a visit." Marlena replied at length, looking up to the young man just in time to catch the pleasure that flashed across his gaze at the thought of annihilating the Silverhand member by member.

And that this point, despite her normal, non-aggressive approach to battle, Marlena felt the exact same way.

* * *

TBC

P.S.: Thank you to all who reviewed thus far! I've gotten some really good feedback and it gives me the warm-and-fuzzies to know people are enjoying my story. Keep up the R&Ring.

Until next time,

~Max


	7. For Vengeance

**Stepping Into the Sunlight**

**Chapter 7: For ****Vengeance**

* * *

Following their discovery, both Marlena and Vilkas were in a noticeably better mood; so much so that when they arrived the Underforge to meet with Aela and Farkas as had been planned the previous night, the former cast them an almost irate look.

"We have to decide what course we're going to take." The Huntress finally said, looking around at the four remaining circle members.

"This is personal; it has to stay within in the Circle… The four of us are going after the Silverhand and Wuuthrad. We already know they're meeting at Driftshade Refuge, and there's no way they could know that we know where their base is." Vilkas affirmed.

"I agree. We should go quickly, try to catch them before they start to pack up and spread out again." Aela said firmly, Marlena frowning minutely before speaking up.

"The letter I found in the lieutenant's chest did say that they were planning on meeting at the Refuge, but when I was looking for that letter, I came across another from a smaller band that said they wouldn't be able to make it; they were too far South to cover the distance in the time they had." The Imperial explained, glancing to Vilkas before continuing.

"I wrote it in the margin of the plans I gave to Kodlak, and I only find it fair to assume that in the event of an attack, he would've sent a pair down to deal with that sect at the same time we hit the base in Dawnstar." Marlena added, Aela nodding to her.

"That is a wise strategy… We will have to go in groups of two." Aela replied lowly, looking to the three Companions.

"Brother… You should go with Marlena to the Refuge; I will go with Aela to Falkreath." Farkas said quietly but firmly, speaking up for the first time since Kodlak's funeral. He noticed that Vilkas was about to protest, but cut him off quickly.

"She will watch your back just as well as I, and you will watch hers. In a building that's crawling with Silverhand, I'm like a giant target. You're both much quicker than I, and your techniques are more suited for battle in limited space. Aela and I would do better dealing with a camp where she can work from a distance and I have plenty of space." The younger twin spoke earnestly, and despite his apprehension for having to choose between Marlena and Farkas, Vilkas felt pride in his brother's ability to read people as well as he did. Although he hated to admit it, Farkas made a fair point, and Vilkas was glad to know both the people he cared about the most were going to be taken care of.

"If that's the case, we shall all part this afternoon… If we all move quickly, accounting for breaks and sleep, we should arrive at our respective locations by mid-day tomorrow." Aela finally said, the four people spending the next few moments looking around at one another.

"Wait… There's one more thing." Marlena then spoke before looking to Vilkas and giving him a nod to explain. The other two Circle members' eyes flicker between the Imperial and the Nord, the latter finally speaking.

"Kodlak believed he'd found a way to cure lycanthropy… Even after death." Vilkas explained, Farkas's face brightening at the news while Aela looked slightly dumbfounded.

"How, brother?" Farkas quickly inquired, though Vilkas looked to Marlena for her explanation.

"Kodlak was sure that the magic inside the head of one of the Glemoril Witches, the group of Hagravens who gave the gift of the Beast Blood, could cure lycanthropy. The only problem is that the head has to be burned in the Harbingers Flame, which is, as you know—"

"In Ysgramor's tomb." Aela finished, nodding slowly.

"Which is even more reason to go after Wuuthrad, it's needed to open the Tomb." Farkas replied, redirecting the discussion to its starting point by reciting a portion of the tale he's been told in childhood.

"We should get packing then…" Marlena commented, Aela nodding in agreement.

"The sooner the better." Vilkas murmured, the four nodding lightly to each other before funneling out of the Underforge and back into Jorrvaskr to prepare for their journeys.

The four gathered outside the doors of Jorrvaskr, the last to arrive being Farkas with Brynja on his arm. Vilkas gave his brother a faint smile that was most evident in his eyes as his younger twin passed by and escorted the Breton down the stairs to the Wind District and bid her goodbye. The faint blush on Farkas's face caused by Brynja's lips upon his cheek was only minutely visible by the time he returned to them, the small gathering expanding to include him.

"We'll meet here in a week's time, at latest… If there's no word, assume the worst." Aela said calmly, speaking the words they all knew the others were thinking.

Slowly, wordlessly, the Companions bid each other luck on their journeys, Aela and Marlena clasping hands quickly but firmly, nodding lightly before breaking apart while Vilkas and Farkas pulled their bodies together with one hand and clapped the other on the back with their unoccupied hand. After a few seconds the twins broke apart, Aela and Vilkas shaking hands while Farkas pulled Marlena into a bear-like hug. The bodies soon broke apart but fell into a line as they walked down the stairs and through Whiterun, parting ways once they exited the gate.

Marlena spared a glance at her partner as they passed through the thick grass that grew in the heart of Skyrim, noting the tightness around his eyes. He was worried; probably not about their task, but about his brother. It was natural for him to worry about Farkas whenever he went out, despite knowing how capable and battle-wise he was. The Imperial placed a comforting hand on Vilkas's as they walked side by side, her eyes looking up at him reassuringly. He offered a weak smile, turning his hand to twine their fingers and give a gentle squeeze.

"Please don't fret, Vilkas… In a few days' time, Kodlak will truly be able to rest easy and pass into Sovngarde. We have a job to do, so, please trust your brother. He's a fierce warrior and perfectly able of fighting for himself, not to mention that he'll have Aela at his back. They're counting on us to keep our heads and do our job." Marlena said softly yet firmly, her voice taking on a quality that both soothed and empowered him. Vilkas was quickly coming to understand why Imperials were such capable negotiators.

"Aye." He replied softly, unable to say much else. She'd said everything for him.

* * *

The Lorcius family, farmers Vilkas had come to know very well over the last decade or so, were very welcoming when the two Companions passed through; serving them dinner that night and breakfast the following morning before Vilkas and Marlena continued their trek North. The lush grass slowly deadened to a crisp brown, and by their mid-day meal, there was a fine layer of snow upon the ground. By sundown, the snow covered their boots and clung to their hair. Marlena marveled silently at the fact that, despite the winds that howled between the mountains around them, she wasn't even cold. Not in the slightest. Contrary to how freezing she'd been following her first transformation, at that moment she was fully comfortable. Vilkas seemed to be just as unaffected by the weather, and the realization of this fact seemed to suggest that it was a side-benefit of the Beast Blood. Not that Marlena was going to complain about it.

The two picked up on the sound of voices a few hundred feet before torch light could be seen glinting off the snow, Vilkas making a move to unsheathe his weapon but pausing when Marlena placed a hand on the chestplate of his wolf armor. Her turquoise-green eyes told him to stay still as she slipped away through the shadows on the ground, laying belly-down on a small, snowy hill and peering over the edge. Clad in her Nightingale regalia, minus the mask of her cowl, Marlena blended in to the darkness cast by the trees around her.

Over the edge of the hill and off to the left a rickety fortress, later identified as Fort Fellhammer, was stacked with two levels above the ground. Her unnaturally acute eyesight caught four silhouettes meandering in messy rounds that left lots of holes for infiltration, a fact that did not escape the Imperial but was slightly overshadowed by the armor the four men donned.

"Silverhand, four of them." Marlena said barely above a whisper, nowhere near loud enough for her voice to carry over the 60 yards between her and their enemies but at a volume that Vilkas was certain to hear as he moved closer to her, falling behind a nearby tree.

There was only one Silverhand at the very top of the fort, two on the mid-level that wrapped around the top of the forts' wall, and one patrolling the small archway that severed as the only foot entrance to the building. Marlena got silently to her feet, readying an arrow from her quiver and raising her bow until the arrowhead rested on the back of the lone man atop the fort. The fact that he was almost dangerously close to edge of the un-bordered roof proved to be an added benefit, as the force of the arrow striking his body caused him to topple head-over-heels into the snow at the base of the fort.

The deep snow absorbed the sound of the fall, making it relatively easy for Marlena and Vilkas to sneak across the pristine landscape, jumping from shadow to shadow until they were pressed against the cold stone of the fort. The two crouched low, Marlena leading the way as she peaked around the edge and readied another arrow as the man guarding the archway headed away from her. Once he passed the opening, the Imperial took him out as well by severing the spinal cord with the tip of her arrow.

Now it was Vilkas who took the lead, readying his greatsword as he crept around the corner, giving Marlena time to store her bow and ready her own twin blades. He heard a slight commotion on the walls above them, noting that the Silverhand had probably noticed that half their numbers were missing. At that moment, Vilkas passed through the archway, bounding up the stairs on his left to engage the first man he came across. He felt Marlena slip past him and his opponent on the narrow wrap-around to go after the remaining man who was in the process of making his way from the other side of the fort.

The man facing him was vicious to be sure and brandished his silver blade as one who had much experience. A feral smirk curled on Vilkas's lips as he parried the man's swing; he'd always loved a challenge. There was a frequent twang of blades from both combatants, but quickly, and after a few long seconds, Vilkas gutted his opponent before kicking him from the middle story of the fort. His body hit the trampled dirt below with a dull thud and the scraping of metal-on-metal from his armor. His partner soon joined him on the ground when Marlena swung her arms in an arc for the finishing blow, slitting her opponent's throat before striking him across the face with the hilt of her second sword and sending his body twisting over the edge.

The male tossed her a crooked smile, which in turn made Marlena smile as she motioned with her head to the building.

"Let's take a look inside." She volunteered, heading over to check the door that opened onto the top floor of the compact two-story fort only to find it locked.

"Bottom floor it is, then." Vilkas commented in response, heading down the stairs and making his way to the door. He tried the handle only to find it locked and barred from the inside, and he told Marlena so, at which point she crouched down in front of the top floor door and pulled a lockpick from her pack. The brunette made quick work of opening the door as Vilkas made his way back up to her.

The top floor of the fort was dimly lit by a few torches in wallmounts, and the second the two entered the room they knew they weren't alone. The sound of harsh breathing and the scuffling of someone getting to their feet caused Vilkas to draw his sword and advance down the short hallway into a small room with a bed tucked into one corner and a small cooking pot near the far wall over a fire in an overturned shield.

He peered to his right, eyes narrowing as he drew back his weapon, releasing his full strength as a man rounded the corner and burying his blade into the flesh and muscle of his throat and very nearly decapitating their opponent. There was the clatter of metal as the Silverhand Lieutenant dropped his weapon before his body collapsed following the removal of Vilkas's blade. After cleaning his blade he sheathed it, Marlena coming to his side and looking around before going into the alcove their enemy had come out of. There was a chair, a table laden with food, and a heavy iron chest, which Marlena made a bee-line for.

It was unlocked, meaning it was easy for her to dive in after flipping open the lid. There was a small amount of coin and gems, and something heavy wrapped in coarse fabric. She turned the chunk of metal over in her hand, marveling at the craftsmanship and detail. Vilkas took notice of her stillness and made his way over, eyes widening.

"It's a fragment of Wuuthrad… One of the pieces we had at Jorrvaskr." He marveled quietly though there was a sinister undertone.

"Maybe… The Silverhand that attacked Jorrvaskr wasn't one large band, but a bunch of smaller bands like this one… And they're all getting together tomorrow, which means they'll bring all the pieces together too." Marlena mused thoughtfully, looking over her shoulder to him before handing him the piece.

"Aye… Maybe." The Nord murmured, taking the piece and slowly tucking it into a fold in the inside of his armor. Marlena got to her feet, touching his cheek reassuringly before picking up a piece of pheasant thigh off the plates on the table and nibbling at it as she headed back into the main room and sat on the edge of the bed.

Vilkas settled into the previously occupied chair, deciding that the roasted leg of goat was now his. It was still decently hot and sat well in his stomach, accompanied by half a baked potato. He got to his feet, heading into the main room and gathering up the Lieutenant before dragging his body outside and kicking the corpse into the courtyard. He returned to find Marlena searching the barrels that were tucked into the corners, emerging with a few apples, which she tucked into the pack that hid beneath her cape.

"Ready for bed?" Marlena inquired, glancing over to him. Upon receiving a nod, she headed past him and grabbed the chair from the alcove. She used the chair to barricade the door, knowing that if someone when through the trouble to pick the lock they wanted to get in one way or the other; at least they would have a warning. When she returned, Vilkas was stretched out on the bed, his arms beneath his head and his eyes focused on the ceiling. Her lips tugged into a small smile as she made her way over, crawling into the bed beside him and resting her head lightly on his chest as her arm snaked around his abdomen.

She felt him stir enough to drape one arm down around her and pull her closer, a small smile forming as she drifted off to sleep. Vilkas remained awake a while longer, gently stroking her arm, shoulder, and back as his eyes traced her features. This was something he could get used to.

The prospect remained at the forefront of his mind as he leaned to press a firm kiss to her forehead before closing his eyes and willing himself into another restless sleep.

* * *

The following morning, Vilkas awoke to the smell of roasting meat and browning potatoes, a small smile creeping onto his face as he got to his feet and stretched. Marlena stood at the cooking pot, tending their breakfast as it stewed over her recently re-kindled fire. She smiled softly when a pair of strong arms encircled her waist, a scruffy cheek pressing against her own.

"Good morning… I hope you're hungry." Marlena commented, feeling a low rumble seep into her back when Vilkas chuckled.

"Starving, actually." He mused, releasing her so she could plate their meals while he went to grab the chair they'd been using to reinforce the door. After a quick meal and a final scouting of the small stone fortress, the two gathered their belongings and continued north, following paths already trampled by earlier travelers or mammoths and their hulking guardians.

Vilkas couldn't help the smile that quirked on his lips. He's never put much thought to having a wife, but, he'd always known that he wanted a woman who was as strong of character as she was a warrior. And here was Marlena, a precise and deadly adventurer who, despite being involved in several organizations and having so much riding on her shoulders, was completely and utterly untainted. He marveled at her abilities, from her pin-point accuracy to her swordsmanship, and sometimes he was even a little jealous. But, the fact that she was still so eager for _his _help made a bloom of pride form in his chest.

At that moment, he felt any doubts he'd had about their success in this task or any other to come, fade into oblivion. There was nothing that could stand in their way; that much was certain. He placed his hand gently on her back, causing her to turn to look to him almost worriedly.

"What is it?" he heard her murmur, and the faintest flash of perplexity flickered through her soulful eyes.

"I was just thinking, is all. I'm glad I met you, Marlena." The Nord responded, placing a brief kiss on her temple as they continued on, his hand remaining on the small of her back as they walked the remaining distance to the Refuge.

It was nearing mid-afternoon as they approached the lair of the Silverhand, the two Companions sticking to the thick boughs of the fir trees that existed in small clumps near the Refuge. Vilkas crouched beside Marlena, musing momentarily how, before her, he never would be 'scouting', as she liked to call it. As soon as the dilapidated stone structure came into view, he and his Shield Sibling would have rushed forth and gone in swinging. But, Marlena was much more patient, and although she could handle a sword better than anyone else he knew, she was more than just a warrior.

There was only a small square formation above ground with a crumbing fortress behind, the latter of which was unguarded. The cubic outcropping, however, was being patrolled by three Silverhand; an archer on top and two foot soldiers around the base.

"How many do you think are in there?" Vilkas inquired in a whisper, his breath freezing in the air and forming a small puff of mist.

"I'm not sure… There are only three watching the exterior, but all the others who are supposed to be here should be. The order was for them to report by mid-day, and it's several hours past. I bet the inside will just be crawling with Silverhand." The female reasoned, readying an arrow in her quiver as she lined up her first shot.

"I'll provide a distraction- Get in close and I'll try to take them out so they can't tell their friends." She mused, the smallest smirk curling on her lips as her gaze froze over slightly. She was ready to go. Vilkas let out a low rumble of amusement, kissing her cheek before padding off through the snow.

In a nearly telepathic tag-team effort, the couple took out the Silverhand grunts, Marlena soon jogging down the path trampled through the snow by the number of members who had arrived earlier that day. After regrouping and giving Marlena a moment to re-gather her arrows, the pair advanced into the building as stealthily as possible, taking out a man who had his back turned to the door just inside. The room was filled with boxes and a small table and little else, but a tunnel leading deeper into the old fortress indicated the direction they should head. Marlena had exchanged her bow for her short-swords as they headed down the passageway only to encounter a heavy wooden door.

"I'll get it open; you just be ready to take out whatever's on the other side." The Imperial commented, crouching down and testing the hinges. Marlena positioned herself so she could open the door and be out of Vilkas's way. Fortunately, there were only two persons on the other side of the door, one of which Vilkas made very easy work of. As the Nord moved on to the remaining man, a woman rushed into a room from a tunnel off to their right, who Marlena was quick to pounce on when she passed by the newer Companion, unaware of her presence.

They made their way through the room after a quick survey of the area, noting a barred door opposite where they had entered, before continuing on through the passageway the late-coming Silverhand had entered through. After passing through a small chamber with a warped table and numerous empty bookshelves they passed through yet another unoccupied room before climbing several levels of steps.

Soon, they peered around the top corner, seeing a young woman pacing atop what may have been an overlook. Marlena took her out quietly with an arrow before slinking forward and peering into the room. They were on a small landing that gave way to a stairway which proceeded onto the lower floor and a balcony that ran along the left side of the room. As Marlena headed along the balcony, creeping through the shadows of empty bookshelves, Vilkas headed down the stairs to meet the large man who sat at a wooden bench-table, unaware of their presence until the clinking of Vilkas's armor gave it away. But, as planned, the man had almost no time to react, capable only of getting up and unsheathing his sword before Marlena sent an arrow flying into the back of his thigh, bringing him down for Vilkas to finish off.

After dropping down from the balcony and landing atop a cupboard, the female slipped down to the floor and made her way over to retrieve her arrow.

"You would think that, this being their main base of operations, they would keep it a little nicer." The brunette commented, eyes washing over the crumbling tables, broken benches, and overturned chairs that littered the room.

"And they call us savages." Vilkas grumbled dryly as he lead the way out through the only exit, though he had to pause when he was met with a locked door.

"Allow me." The woman murmured, stooping down and tweaking the lock for a few brief seconds before the tumbler clicked and they were granted access.

The room beyond the locked door was empty save a large collection of crates and a tunnel that lead from the area. As the two walked down the hallway, Marlena having exchanged her bow for her swords, they encountered another door off to their left which was, again, locked. The Imperial made quick work of the lock, afterwards cracking the door open slightly to peer inside. It seemed to be their sleeping quarters by the handful of beds scattered about, and the room in its entirety was occupied by only one member.

Marlena made quick motion for Vilkas to remain where he was as she sunk into a low crouch and practically crawled across the room and up onto the bedframe, perching on her toes with both feet on one of the bedposts near her victim's head. In one swift motion, she extended her arm severed the woman's windpipe and jugular, the female letting out a faint gurgling sound as her eyes flew open and she quickly bled out.

Vilkas swallowed hard as he watched his Shield Sister end the woman's life, practically while she slept, before searching the room for anything valuable. She came out with a few potions that encouraged healing or were good stamina boosters tucked in her bag along with a few Septims. Additionally, her hands held a couple loaves of bread, a few slices of cheese, and a plate of roasted rabbit haunches.

"I figured we should take a quick break for lunch." She mused, Vilkas smiling faintly as he took a loaf, some cheese, and a few haunches. The two sat down inside the room on the bed near the fireplace to eat, checking their supplies before continuing on. The tunnel had several turns but eventually emptied out into large room with several tables bearing partially-eaten scraps of food, spilled bottles of mead and several stacks of crates, but no enemies. Through the doorway at the far end of the room, however, was a small alcove that contained one man- who was obviously drunk and thusly posed little threat.

Beside a small fireplace in the alcove the pair encountered a row of spears that rose from the ground and prevented them from continuing down the small staircase to a heavy wood door. Luckily, the lever that retracted the spears was easily accessible and the Companions were able to continue their task with little delay.

The cellar of Driftshade held an inescapable chill that permeated the air, even as they continued on, making use of a spike trap laid by the Silverhand to take out their own man amongst several walls stacked high with barrels. Marlena spent a moment gazing wordlessly at a werewolf that had been slaughtered inside a heavy iron cage before Vilkas encouraged her to continue. They passed through a small room with shelves full of helmets and substandard weaponry before proceeding down a small flight of stairs through and through a wooden door.

Whereas the last room had been unoccupied, this one contained two members of their enemy's faction, who had been chatting in front of what appeared to be an old copper brewing tank one would normally find in a meadery. The two men put up a losing battle, giving the Companions the ability to search the small landing that was behind the brewing tank for anything of use. Empty-handed, they proceeded through the tunnel on the left side of the room.

The frosty air soon made sense as the tunnel they were walking through turned into an icy cavern that put Marlena and Vilkas out in the open, male automatically targeting the one man on the same floor as them. As the men fought, a frown formed on Marlena's face as she sheathed her swords and pulled out her bow while spinning on her heal to face in the opposite direction.

A soft sound of pain passed her lips as a silver-tipped arrow lodged itself on her chest just below her collarbone, a soft snarl welling in her chest as she used her body's initial shock from the unexpected pain to bring up her bow and the arrow she'd drawn, aiming and firing almost simultaneously to shred through her enemy's throat. As the Silverhand's body toppled from the snowy ledge down onto the small path that lead up to the upper floor, Marlena let out a harsh exhale as she allowed her hand to touch the area near her left shoulder.

As soon as he realized what had happened and his enemy was neutralized, Vilkas was at her side, examining the wound. Her dark garb made it hard to tell what the extent of the damage was, but regardless, Vilkas insisted on her kneeling so he could remove the arrow. Marlena used her teeth to remove her leather glove, biting down on the thick hide to help soundlessly outlet the pain as the Nord pulled the silver arrow from her frame in one quick yank.

As he watched her face contort in pain, an expression he had never experienced on her features, Vilkas internally cursed himself from letting her take that blow. They both noticed the sound of a scuffing boot, but Marlena was the one bringing up the rear and thus, the one closest to the archer. Had she not turned and he not pushed her out of the way, that arrow could have very well gone through her ribcage and right into her heart. But for this outcome, as opposed to the more twisted version that rushed through his mind, he was very grateful.

"Are you alright?" he inquired softly as he knelt beside her, fingers pressing firmly on the wound despite the queasy feeling the stickiness and warmth of her blood stirred in his gut. Her face retained a good amount of color and her breathing was steady, telling him that the wound wasn't too serious. And the fact that she was smiling ever so faintly as she gazed up at him.

"I'll be fine… Give it a minute and I'll be ready to go. I read somewhere what lycanthropes heal quickly, as I'm sure you already know, and not to mention being Dragonborn gives me very similar benefits." Marlena replied, content with half-sitting on his thigh for the time being.

Five minutes passed before the two finally separated, the Imperial insisting that enough of a scab had formed to keep her blood where it belonged as she climbed a few steps up the trail to retrieve her arrow from the throat of her fallen enemy. Although unwonted, Marlena went the extra mile to step down on the Silverhand's nose until the bone snapped as she yanked the shaft of the arrow from his throat, a soft smirk curling on her lips.

"Too bad you weren't a better shot." She murmured as Vilkas came up to join her, the man insisting he bring up the rear from there on out. Marlena shook her head but humored him, eyes scanning the upper landing and resting on yet another lycan contained in an iron cage. He was alive, but he was still crazed.

"We best leave him be." Vilkas advised, the female nodding as her gaze focused on a pair of keys on a nearby table.

"But we should at least give him a way out." She replied, scooping up the keys and tossing them outside the cage so they were within arm's reach. When he came to his senses and transformed back, their kin would be able to free himself- if he even wanted to be free.

Marlena pursed her lips as she led her partner from the icy cavern back into the familiar stone of the Refuge and through an obviously well-used torture chamber, complete with stretching racks and hanging cages, before descending a short staircase and emerging on an overlook to a vast room with a large fireplace, around which two Silverhand sat huddled on chairs.

Testing her shoulder, the Imperial readied another arrow from her quiver and drew back on the bow, locking her elbow to help take the force off her upper chest. Vilkas vaulted onto the lower floor as Marlena fired her bow, severing the spinal cord of one of the men shortly before the remaining man jumped up and began to trade blows with Vilkas. Once both Silverhand lay in pools of their own blood, the Nord retrieved Marlena's arrow while she downed several health tonics to aid the already rapid healing of her wound before the two continued through a large tunnel beneath the overlook they had entered upon.

The passage way was short with only two sharp turns before their chosen path led them up a flight of stairs and back into the upper floors of the Refuge via a heavy door. The room they entered was unoccupied and only half-furnished, and the sound of boisterous voices carried through a staircase that branched from the left side of the room.

And by this point, Vilkas's blood was boiling. They killed Kodlak, tortured hundreds of lycans, and had even come very close to seriously injuring the only woman he truly cared for. Vilkas was panting heavily as he listened to the men chortle and laugh over their kills, tensing abruptly when Marlena touched his bicep.

"Come on… We must be getting close." She murmured, meeting his cerulean gaze and watching as his body began to relax slightly and his breathing evened out. Her lips formed a small, reassuring smile as he nodded to her before following her up the stairs.

"I think this is it." Marlena whispered as they crouched in the shadow of the stairs that emptied out onto the bottom floor of a large room, flanked on either side by landings that rose almost 6 feet up. The one to the left had three men sitting at a wooden table, drinking and catching up it seemed, and the one on the far side facing them, with his steel-plate armor and battle axe, seemed to be their leader.

"Let's go." The Nord murmured softly, waiting for Marlena to enter the room and begin to creep up the steps to the landing before going in after her. The man nearest them was the first to react when Vilkas entered the room and began to advance up the stairs, although due to not thinking to look when he first started down the stairs he was gutted the moment he came within range of Marlena's swords. From there, she was forced to trade blows with a highly skilled broadsword-wielder who currently had the higher ground.

Meanwhile, Vilkas had begun to duel with the Silverhand captain on the lower floor. Amidst the sound of clashing blades, he was caught slightly off-guard by an emission of pain as his Shield Sister deflected a blow with her injured arm before going on to bury the sword she wielded in her right hand up to the hilt in her opponent's chest. That distraction was enough for the captain to drag his blade across Vilkas's abdomen before the Companion regained his footing and brought his blade down upon the man's skull.

He pressed against the wound as he felt the blood begin to seep through the thick leather covering his side, gritting his teeth slightly. There was a bit of a misconception when it came to silver weaponry, namely in that it somehow did more damage to lycanthropes or was deadly in some manner. The fact was that their blood just reacted badly with silver, but only so long as there was an open wound and the silver was contacting it. Right now, he was just left with the small lingering sensation of being burnt when he was cut.

"Vilkas, up here!" The young man's eyes flickered over to where Marlena stood, fingers dancing over something on the surface of the table. He made his way up the stairs to her, tensing slightly as each step sent a pain racing down through his leg. He noted that Marlena had made a small collection of coin purses and assorted vials near her, and presently, she was gazing over the decimated handle and cracked blade of Wuuthrad.

"It looks like all the pieces are here." He marveled softly, weighing the number of shards and their size.

"There seems to only be three pieces missing; one piece we have, one is with Aela and Farkas, and Kodlak kept the third in his bedside table." Marlena replied, a wide grin forming on her features.

"We've done it! We're so close to finishing this, Vilkas." She murmured in awe, her gaze sweeping around momentarily and, after noting the number of mounted lycan heads that were hung on the walls, she turned to her Shield Brother and wrapped her arms tightly around his neck.

"Just think… Soon, Kodlak will be able to go to Sovngarde, just like he wanted." She murmured, eyes closing slightly as she felt Vilkas's arms encircle her waist.

"Yes… We will return to Jorrvaskr tomorrow, and Eorlund will be able to begin forging Wuuthrad back to its former glory… But tonight, we should find a place to sleep." He commented, stroking the woman's hair as he released her.

"We're not too far from the Winterhold Imperial Camp… I have friends there, and we should make it by nightfall or shortly after." Marlena observed before picking up a nearby sack and storing the fragments of Wuuthrad within it before adding it to the pack beneath her cape.

"I'd much rather do that than stay here." He agreed softly, hand returning to his wound as he angled his body away to his companion wouldn't notice.

Unfortunately for him, Marlena made quick work of deducing that Vilkas wasn't alright when he began to descend the steps with a small limp.

"Vilkas… What happened?" she demanded softly as she darted down to be on his level before face him. Her eyes zeroed on the way he was putting pressure on his oblique and the amount of fresh garnet liquid that coated his hand.

"Did this just happen?" she inquired as she guided him to sit on the steps, moving his hand so she could get a better look at the wound.

"Yeah… The Captain got me. Be careful." He warned lightly as she prodded the edges of the wound to see the condition of the muscle beneath.

"I'm just making sure it's clean." She assured softly, drawing a canteen from her pack and pouring the cool river water over the area. While lycanthropes were immune to diseases and infections, Marlena was intent on making sure the wound would heal properly and not cause him pain later on, as some scars were apt to do.

"We'll put something on it when we get to the camp… Here, have a healing tonic for now to help dull the pain." The woman murmured as she stored her canteen and removed a vial with a green ribbon tied around the neck.

Vilkas downed the foul tasting liquid but couldn't deny that the area around his would slowly cooled and the pain he felt as he got to his feet wasn't nearly as unbearable as it had been earlier. Marlena kept a close eye on him as the pair exited the room through a tunnel that lead to a barred door which, once the bar was removed, lead to the first chamber where they encountered any significant resistance. They retraced their steps up out of the Refuge before orienting themselves and heading north.

* * *

It was late afternoon and, despite their slightly slower pace, the pair reached the Imperial Camp shortly after sundown as Marlena had predicted.

"Valerius? Fancy seeing you out here." A calm, Nordic voice called as they reached the heart of the camp, a small smile forming on Marlena's face.

"Legate… I was hoping you would be here." The female Companion responded as a brunette woman, rather similar to Marlena in stature and features, approached in the classic scarlet and brown leather garb of the Imperial Army. The two shook hands firmly before Marlena turned to her guest.

"Legate Rikke, this is Vilkas Whitemane of Whiterun. He is my Shield Brother." She explained, Rikke looking over him momentarily.

"Shield Brother, you say?" Rikke then inquired, looking to Marlena for clarification.

"I joined up with the Companions a few months back. Vilkas and I just finished off a very important raid and were hoping we would be able to bunk here for the night before heading back home in the morning." Marlena replied, being granted a nod by the Legate after a moment of consideration.

"We are able to accommodate you for the night. Our troops will be heading out before dawn to deal with a small Stormcloak faction to the South-East, but, you are welcome to stay as long as you like." Rikke replied, the Companions giving a slight nod of acquiescence.

"Thank you for your generosity, Legate. It's good to know there are people out there willing to help their friends." Vilkas said calmly, Rikke giving him a gentle nod in return.

"A friend of Marlena's is a friend of mine. I owe her much, and this is the least I can do. The tent over by the apothecary's stall is open and you're welcome to it." Rikke replied, motioning with an upturned palm.

"Thank you again, Rikke. I'll have to trouble you for some bandages before we turn in, though. Vilkas took a whack to the side with a broadsword." Marlena explained, the Legate nodding.

"Whatever you need. If you need my assistance with anything, I'll be turning in for the night. You know how to find my tent." With that, the Legate headed off to the largest of the tents, draped in the banners of the Imperial Army.

"Get settled, I'll go get some bandages." Marlena murmured to her partner, who nodded and made his way over to the tent Rikke had indicated they were free to use.

Vilkas had time to sit down and light the small oil lamp on the floor between the two bedrolls before Marlena returned, several rolls of cloth bandages in one hand and a bowl of water in the other. With her help, the Nord removed the chest piece of his Wolf Armor as well as his undershirt, both actions further aggravating his wound. Finally he was able to lean back and support himself on his hands while Marlena cleaned away the dried blood with a cloth, a soft tune being hummed as she worked. Afterward, she applied a deep violet paste from a small jar in her knapsack before wrapping his abdomen several times with the pristine bandages to speed up the healing process.

Normally, a warrior would ignore the superficial scratches their received on the backs of their hands and arms, but, Marlena took special care in cleaning each wound with water and removing the thin layer of grime from Vilkas's face. She even cleaned up the edges of his continuously smeared warpaint, despite the fact that it had practically become one with his skin. Finally, she made a move to lay down on one of the bedrolls, but Vilkas stopped her with a hand on her knee.

"What about your shoulder?" he inquired before guiding her to sit closer to him.

"It's fine, Vilkas. Really." She assured. But, the look he gave her told her he wouldn't be satisfied until he made sure for himself.

She undid the pack from around her waist and set it aside before working the lacing that ran up the sides of her Nightingale bodice free, Vilkas gently guiding the obsidian leather up over her head and off.

The ivory band that was wrapped firmly around the Imperial's ribcage to keep her bust close to her body was stained crimson over the left breast, and the path the blood had taken to get there was dried on to Marlena's skin. Vilkas's callused fingers rested momentarily upon the area as if reassuring himself that yes, it had all happened.

Where the arrow had stuck her was caked over with blood, and as Vilkas began to clear away the vermillion stains on her skin, he found that she was telling the truth. After rubbing away the scab that had formed over the x-shaped wound, he found a pale pink stretch of new skin covering the laceration as if a week had passed in the last few hours. None the less, he applied a small dab of the same paste Marlena has used on him before wrapping the area.

"Thank you." The female murmured, the Nord managing a small smile.

"You would have, and did, the same for me." He replied firmly, placing a light kiss across the backs of her knuckles before pulling her close to his body and gently lowering her onto his bedroll prior to curling up to her side.

"Tell me a story." He requested after a few moments of silence, the female having to process his request a moment. It was a strange request, at best.

"What kind of story?" Marlena inquired, shifting to lie sideways so she could face the man whose arms snaked around her torso.

"Any kind." The Imperial looked over the battle-hardened man who rested his head on the hallow of her shoulder, her hand moving instinctively to stroke his hair.

"Let's see…"

* * *

**A/N: Thank you to everyone who reviewed; it really helped me get over the writer's slump I've been in since the start of the school year. But, now that some of my other commitments are coming to an end, I'll have a little more time to devote to the story. See you all again soon!**


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